President Trump and the GOP really like to tout their support of law enforcement. When NFL players kneel in protest of the disproportionate incidents of police brutality experienced by black Americans or Black Lives Matter speaks out about the number of unarmed black citizens killed by police, right-wing voters are quick to jump in with their “blue lives matter” responses and insults about “thugs” who need to respect police.
When Trump criticizes the FBI, the nation’s top law enforcement agency, for his own political gain, somehow all of that support for police officers sworn to protect and serve suddenly fades away.
CNN reported on Thursday that White House aides have expressed their fears that the Trump-appointed FBI Director Christopher Wray may leave the agency over a controversial memo that the president has vowed to release to the public despite Wray’s concerns about its accuracy and lack of context.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7en5MzhstmI
‘Wray has made clear he is frustrated that President Donald Trump picked him to lead the FBI after he fired FBI Director James Comey in May, yet his advice on the Nunes memo is being disregarded and cast as part of the purported partisan leadership of the FBI, according to a senior law enforcement official…
‘The potential release of the memo penned by House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes has set up a standoff with Trump against both the FBI and Department of Justice. Although the President has signaled that he is inclined to release the memo, as part of an effort to undercut the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, senior officials inside the White House are trying to come up with a solution that satisfies both the President and law enforcement officials like Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.’
Statement from the FBI Agents Association voicing support for FBI Director Chris Wray in the wake of Nunes memo controversy:
“The FBI Agents Association appreciates FBI Director Chris Wray standing shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the FBI” pic.twitter.com/eJc4J8TQr4
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) February 1, 2018
Despite those fears, NBC has reported that Wray has no intention of resigning, so White House aides’ fears are backed by conflicting reports.
BREAKING: FBI Director Chris Wray has no intention of quitting if controversial House Intel memo is released despite his objections, @PeteWilliamsNBC reports
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) February 1, 2018
Wray was nominated by Trump to replace former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump dismissed using suspicious reasoning. The New York Times reported at the time:
‘Mr. Trump and his aides gave multiple justifications for Mr. Comey’s dismissal in the days after he was fired. The first rationale was that the F.B.I. director had mishandled the Clinton email case. Another was that Mr. Comey had lost the confidence of the F.B.I. During an Oval Office meeting with Russian officials, Mr. Trump went so far as to call Mr. Comey a “nut job” and said that firing him lifted pressure off the White House.’
However, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is reported to have an earlier draft of Trump’s letter firing Comey in which the reasoning was quite different, and included Comey’s refusal to tell the American people that Trump was not personally (at that time) under investigation.
Featured image via Getty/AFP Contributor
