On January 22 Long After the Clinton Email Issue, Trump Blew James Comey a Happy Kiss

Never once since he’s been running for president has Donald Trump done something because it was right or wrong, so it’s near impossible to buy the argument that he fired the man who’s investigating Trump’s ties to Russia because of the way he handled Clinton’s emails back in July.

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Donald Trump blew a kiss to FBI Director James Comey on January 22, and then Comey crossed the room and the two had a bro-brace that looked like they might burst into song together. Trump loved Comey on January 22, which is long after Comey mishandled Clinton’s emails.

Donald Trump does things because of how they impact him, and he doesn’t usually try to hide it either. He’s usually quite open about his immature emotional reactions. Mean to Trump? You’re illegal. Nice to Trump? You’re a good guy.

To wit:

“We have a rigged system, folks,” then candidate Trump said during a North Carolina rally after Comey announced that he wouldn’t recommend prosecution over Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

Then Trump claimed Comey made a mistake:

Comey BAD because Comey didn’t do what would have helped Donald Trump.

But Comey GOOD when Comey announced just days before the election that he was reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.

“It took guts for Director Comey to make the move that he made in light of the kind of opposition he had where they’re trying to protect her from criminal prosecution. You know that,” Trump said. “I was not his fan, but I’ll tell you what. What he did, he brought back his reputation. He brought it back.”

Hmmm…

And then there’s that kiss. On January 22, Trump blew Comey a literal kiss. He knew all about the issues listed in the letter when he blew Comey this kiss.

Right before the kiss that drew Comey across the room into Trump’s arms:

So it wasn’t the way Comey handled Clinton’s emails; after all, this grateful kiss happened after Comey handled Clinton’s emails improperly by announcing what turned out to be a dud just days before the election, helping Trump limp over the finish line the Russians had already hoisted him over with all of the might.

What changed between this kiss and now?

Oh, the Trump Russia investigation. As Malcolm Nance suggested. It’s a cover up .

Trump will just keep firing people and Republicans will keep telling us that of course Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation into himself and Trump, but Sessions was so concerned over Hillary Clinton’s emails that he just had to weigh in now, of all times, to say that it’s time for Comey to go.

Sure, Comey just got apparently busted for misrepresenting Clinton’s emails in his testimony to Congress. But misrepresenting things is something Trump does by the minute. This is, if nothing else, a qualification to be in the Trump administration. But also, the letter specifically cites Comey’s actions in July, before the election, and again with his announcement days before the election.

Trump grades people based on how they help or hurt him: That’s it. It’s pretty basic.

This is an administration who kept on a National Security Adviser who they were told was compromised by the Russians. If they fired people for being incompetent or misrepresenting things, Flynn wouldn’t have been hired in the first place.

Sessions had to “recuse” himself, so now they just had to fire the FBI Director who was in charge of the only even remotely happening investigation (thanks to Republican obstruction) into Trump Russia.

Handy. It’s Nixonian, as Senator Casey said tonight.

The New York Times reported at the time, and tell me if this sounds familiar:

“President Nixon, reacting angrily tonight to refusals to obey his orders, dismissed the special Watergate prosecutor, Archibald Cox, abolished Mr. Cox’s office, accepted the resignation of Elliot L. Richardson, the Attorney General, and discharged William D. Ruckelshaus, the Deputy Attorney General.

The President’s dramatic action edged the nation closer to the constitutional confrontation he said he was trying to avoid.”

The excuse provided for firing Comey is flimsy and transparent. The Trump White House doesn’t get rid of people for making mistakes. Look at the people he appointed. They don’t even know how government is run in the most basic way. No. Trump fires people if he is forced to by the press (Flynn) or as punishment (Yates) for not doing his bidding even if his bidding was unlawful.

High minded? Nope not this crew. Try again.

If you doubt this, remember Trump – the man who later hired as his NSA someone who was literally compromised by Russia – saying this as the reason why Clinton’s emails deserved prosecution, “Our adversaries almost certainly have a blackmail file on Hillary Clinton, and this fact alone disqualifies her from service.”

It would, wouldn’t it.

Trump fired Comey two days before he was set to testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Looks like obstruction, walks like obstruction, probably is obstruction of justice.

Sarah Jones

Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.

Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.

Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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