I am really curious what Barr, Jordan, Pompeo, Mulvaney, and the other sycophants are hoping to gain by defending Trump and his refusal to follow the rule of law and the Constitution.
What is the core of their motivation?
Is it just power?
10
“I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter.
We all know that Trump can't read anything longer than a paragraph, so there's no way he could know what Wray was reading, or whether it differed from what was "given" to him. (Note that he did not say he read it.)
9
IG Horowitz had limits in the scope of his investigation, but nonetheless came up with a scathing rebuke of the FBI and the Justice Department. U.S. Attorney Durham has a much wider scope, subpoena power, and the ability to bring criminal charges. His comment yesterday indicated simply that the wider scope findings, thus far, had revealed more evidence that was in conflict with the more limited scope findings. Therefore, there is no reason to cast aspersions or run around sliming Durham, but Comey, Brennan, and Clapper, et al, might be well advised to lawyer up.
4
Three modest suggestions for those commenting here?
First, read Wray's own response to the Inspector General's report. https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-director-christopher-wray-response-to-inspector-general-report
Second, read the full report, Office of the Inspector General
U.S. Department of Justice, [OVERSIGHT* INTEGRITY * GUIDANCE], Review of Four FISA Applications and
Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire
Hurricane Investigation, https://www.justice.gov/storage/120919-examination.pdf
Third, continue the dialog in other forums, including other papers, etc. Washington Post, sure --but also the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, any local paper....
Following my own example, and signing off to read. And take heart -- reading is powerful.
4
Wait, what? I'm confused.
“The greatest danger to our free system is that the incumbent government use the apparatus of the state, principally the law enforcement and intelligence agencies, both to spy on political opponents but also to use them in a way that could affect the outcome of an election,” Mr. Barr said in an interview with NBC News.
Does it make a difference if the incumbent government uses the apparatus of the state to coerce ANOTHER country's leader to announce that his country's law enforcement and intelligence agencies will be investigating ("spying on?") a political opponent to affect the outcome of the election? Isn't that what Trump did -- and what he is now being impeached for?
Incumbent government? President? Before the 2016 election, that was President Obama. And although Comey put his thumb on the scale in announcing re-opening the email investigation into Clinton -- I don't recall President Obama ever announcing that the FBI was investigating Trump.
Did I miss something?
9
Why are the Republicans defending this president? They are not disputing the facts, they are ignoring them. Yet "they"
impeached a president for lack of moral character and abuse of office for having a tawdry relationship with an adult intern. Was that wrong, yes, but that behavior was not a danger to the country. How is this less wrong? We have a president without a trace of moral decency, a cheater in his personal and business life, all well documented long before he became president, he insults everyone who disagrees with him. He is a disgrace. I don't like Pence, but with Trump gone the GOP still retains their power with him. But maybe they think Pence is worse?
6
To call the Steele dossier "notorious" and "unverified" is to repeat Republican talking points. Listen to this interview of two investigators of the contents of the dossier. It is by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fresh-air/id214089682?i=1000457954045
4
As if the world needed more proof of how corrupt and what a Trump toadie Barr really is. A disgrace of an A.G. who clearly sees himself as Trump`s lawyer; NOT America`s. SAD.
10
All I can say is shame on Trump, Barr and all who support them. I'm done trying to edify the latter. Just...shame.
7
Pete Williams, NBC, did a lousy interview of Barr; he tacitly accepted Barr's ground rules to talk only about the IG report, and never mentioned the six members of Trump's campaign found guilty, or the 152 contacts the Trump campaign had with Russians, and 50 plus lies, according to Mueller.
Mueller also pointed to 10 likely cases of obstruction of justice that Trump committed. Williams didn't mention any of that.
Under 52 USC 30121, it is illegal for anyone to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with any election in the United States.
The crime is soliciting help, regardless of whether anything is given or even offered in exchange; the quid pro quo argument is a red herring.
Donald Trump solicited electoral assistance from Russia, Ukraine and China, and through Attorney General William Barr, from Italy, Australia and the UK.
Igor Fruman and Lev Parnas, Ukraine-born American citizens, have been accused of helping the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, instigate a Ukrainian investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, and indicted for illegally funneling foreign money to Trump’s campaign.
What we have is a conspiracy led by the president, assisted by Rudy Giuliani, to persuade foreign actors to investigate Trump’s political opponent in order to influence the outcome of U.S. elections.
11
Trump, Barr and the Republican Reich's attrition of Americas’ Constitution with the help of Putin.
“Days after the stolen Democratic emails became public, he called on Russia to uncover more. Then news broke that his campaign had pressed to change the Republican Party platform’s stance on Ukraine in ways that were favorable to Russia.”
5
Scary times we are living in. “In our new age of terrifying, lethal gadgets, which supplanted so swiftly the old one, the first great aggressive war, if it should come, will be launched by suicidal little madmen pressing an electronic button. Such a war will not last long and none will ever follow it. There will be no conquerors and no conquests, but only the charred bones of the dead on an uninhabited planet.”
http://elibrary.bsu.az/books_400/N_389.pdf
Sad that a sitting U.S. Attorney General would use the word "spy" on political opponents. Maybe if people around Trump were not so busy interacting with Russia and Ukraine then the FBI won't have had a need to investigate their actions?
7
Trento in Toronto asks, Why are we taking to the streets? Some of us are. At a recent Dunedin arts show (streets pedestrian only) along came a hapless band of Trump brownshirts carrying the trump photo aloft and the flag and a few maga hats. I took great delight in paving the way for them: Ladies and Gentlemen, make way for the clowns, and then bursting into song - Here come the clowns, there have to be clowns. Off to the side I chided them: You should be ashamed of yourselves. Why aren't you home protecting your daughters' privates from scurrilous attacks? We're going to impeach the scoundrel. Thoroughly enjoyed myself. Can't wait for the next show.
4
As the chaos and rhetoric unfold, we the people, need to keep our voices heard and our wits about us. The constitutional framework of our government--its legal bases with methodical provisions for accountability must provide the path of travel.
While, we have heard truth and good will from public servants, President Trump and Attorney General Barr are working to create an alternative subjective reality which already has steps in place leading to an authoritarian government.
We, the people, must be aware that more important than President Trump, it is our democracy itself that must be preserved. He and Attorney General are working to dismantle the government with lies, fears and threats. We must be vigilant for the country's future with its highest aspirations for the common good and its voice of and for the people.
5
Barr's lack of any credibility started when hs submitted his "memo" to Trump in order to get a job. His belief in an autocratic executive is all over his speeches and interviews.
He now steps out of his office to defend those beliefs by attacking a credible report by our Inspector General whose mission it was to provide an objective assessment of FBI actions.
Barr needs to shore up the crumbling, autocratic posturing of Trump. His job is on the line. His manipulative point-counterpoint to real facts seems like a joke if it were not for the tragic misuse of his position for political dirty work.
Like Trump, he should resign to let the patriots in government who discharge their duties based on their oath of office and fielty to the Constitution begin to right the ship of state.
1
Matthew/NJ states that we need a hero. Perhaps not so much a common person with a white horse. There have been some theories about saviors. One of the most enduring is the great man theory.
"The great man theory is a 19th-century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of great men, or heroes; highly influential and unique individuals who, due to their natural attributes, such as superior intellect, heroic courage, or divine inspiration, have a decisive historical effect."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_man_theory
Day dreams and all of that. Consider: There are many billionaires whose wealth is much greater than that of the Imposter. A hero might be one of those extraordinary people who would buy all of Trump's debt and foreclose on it immediately.
Has been done before, but on a smaller scale. Dreams wish.
I hope the FBI employees, like many in the State Department, rise up and speak the truth.
7
Jeanine Pirro, Trump’s choice to head up the FBI. And she could be “acting” director for a very long time.
It is not just President Trump and AG Barr who have grown skeptical of the likes of Comey, Stzrok, McCabe, Ohr, Rosenstein, Brennan, Clapper or the limitations on Horowitz in doing his report. Any thinking American who reads, studies carefully the Mueller report, the Horowitz report and the flimsily constructed Pelosi, Nadler and Schiff articles of pseudoimpeachment will challenge what the Democrat "leaders" are trying to do from day one of President Trump's presidency.
2
Trump and Barr Escalate Attacks on F.B.I. Over Report on Russia Inquiry"............
Maybe they, the two of them, prefer the Gestapo of old........
4
Barr, like Trump doesn’t believe in the rule of law.
He wants to support Trump as dictator.
That’s what this is really about.
Barr, like Trump is a clear and present danger to the country and the Constitution.
He is willing to bet the house that he can pull this Con off right in front of our eyes.
He needs to be impeached as well.
7
“ ‘I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me,’ Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter.”
As we know, Christopher Wray read the report he was given and the Fake President certainly didn’t read the report that he was given. When one person reads the report and the other doesn’t, they of course reach different conclusions (except when your are Attorney General Barr - then you reach whatever conclusion the Fake President tells you to reach, because you’re spineless and you know you will get fired if you do anything else).
Unfortunately for America, the one who doesn’t read runs the country.
6
Right now, Barr is behind Trump but eventually I'd like to see Trump behind bars.
6
The inspector general's report is 400+ pages long and is based on a ton of evidence and review of documents. Barr and Durham provide nothing but opinions and yet are given nearly equal space in this piece. NYT - this is part of the reason the average American is confused - When the media give equal time to opinions vs facts and data, the opinions appear to carry near equal weight.
6
AG Sanitizer strikes again. Color me shocked.
6
Barr is totally derelict in his duty as chief law enforcement officer for the country. Instead he is acting as Trump’s agent in destroying the integrity of the Department of Justice in order to protect Trump. He is promoting Russia’s agenda by repeating Ukraine conspiracy theories while attacking the FBI.
We have corruption in the Oval Office and everything it touches.
6
Horowitz did not "rule out" political motivations. He simply did not find evidence for them.
That lack of proof for a thing is not proof of its negation.
It is this relentless spin that has led us to a bitterly partisan country where the left has its newspapers, and the right has theirs. Just tell the truth: "Horowitz found no evidence of political motivation."
1
Barr reminds me of the great comic James Edmundson Sr, otherwise known as Dr. Backward. In seconds he could take an absolute fact and spin it into unintelligible gobbledygook. Yes William Barr you may have a future as the new Dr. Backward. The only difference is that Dr. Backward was funny!
2
Just when one wants to believe Trump and his minions have finally hit the bottom in their quest to rule his country like a dictatorship, they find a deeper swamp.
4
The Trump Show is simply exhausting, and incessant. It hangs over sentient citizens like a fog of acid rain, corrosive to all it embraces. Will there be even a carcass left, when eventually it recedes? This is nothing short of an existential threat to our democracy, and a window into our fascist future. Use it, or lose it.
6
Barr and trump have a real distaste for the truth, whatever the subject.
4
That's right - the truth is whatever Trump wants it to be.
We need to get rid of this Russian puppet before he destroys our nation.
4
I am surprise that AG Barr did not blame the "secularist" on that one. After all, according to him all the problems of the American society are caused by the "secularists".
2
I have a question for you my American friends.
I know that Mr. Barr holds the title 'Attorney General', that he is apointed by trump and his gop gang.
My question is who pays this guy Barr? Is he on the paylist of the trump organisation? Does he get his wages through some trump 'charity' fund?
Gail -- I am changing my vote. Barr is the worst member of Trump's cabinet.
3
Impeach Barr for abuse of power before this country becomes another version of Russia: controlled by oligarchs and headed by a dictator.
3
Barr is like someone right out of "The Handmaid's Tale" !!!
5
As they all are, if it was written by a Russian. Why were there Russians at the White House yesterday?
3
Barr is a disgrace to his office.
3
Let us hope that John Durham will be ruthless...
2
It's a shame. A White House resident that gives aid to our enemies, and the top law enforcement official that could best be describes as close to corrupt and another word that ends in "kisser".
2
It is past time to take to the streets.
3
The Titanic is taking water, and Trump and Barr are still haranguing the wine steward for serving red wine with fish.
3
Of course Barr realizes the election was rigged for Trump. He was one of the enablers.
Mr. Barr doesn't like the truth. He means to pervert justice.
It's odd that these self-identified "religious" people have no respect for spiritual values. In particular, those who claim to be Christians seem eager to disrespect the teachings of Jesus, and those who claim to be Catholics think they are more catholic than the Pope.
Their respect for life stops at the boundary of birth, especially into poor families, and mothers and communities and health care are considered unnecessary for the fetus once it is born. They are fine with killing machines, fomenting hatred, telling lies, blaming victims, and taking from the poor to give to the rich.
There is little or no justice at Justice, and what there is is in spite of AG Barr, not because of him.
He has no shame, which makes him a fine companion for Putin-supporter Trump. The entire Republican party has done a 100% about face and don't care how much harm they do as long as they "win". Russia is now their friend, since it helps with the broad-based cheating happening nationwide to help them loot what remains of earth's bounty.
Nice planet. you had there, guys!
2
We are in really deep trouble. This is how dictatorships are formed. Completely corrupt leadership. Senate you are really letting this nightmare happen? Have you no shame? My god what happened to patriotism and love of country?
4
This small cadre of trump apologists & loyalists wants to challenge all critics as from the 'deep state.' It now appears Barr leads a group of sycophants we should call the Shallow State !
Barr's logic regarding the IG report is intellectually bankrupt. The FBI did not use Carter Page (already enmeshed with CIA & Russians before Trump was a candidate) as predicate for their investigation. It was Papadopoulis leaking to an Australian. There were no mistakes initiating the investigation and there was a tsunami of suspicious activity uncovered, all around Trump- from Manafort (convicted) changing RNC platform on Ukraine to Flynn lies about Russian contact to trump Tower meeting...and on.
What sort of AG ignores the evidence so clearly revealed ?
Can Barr be impeached ?
2
We are now living in a post-"Network" (1976) world.
If trump loses the election... there is no check on his power to force him to step down. He will own the justice department and the FBI. His power comes from the people who are in a cult. I say cult because they believe no one except trump. I’m looking for residency in another country before this one ends at war
I can see Trump and Barr disputing the 2020 election results, and launching an investigation. What then...?
1
Barr seems to be trying to remodel the US presidency along the lines of his religion's pontiff in Rome--chosen by god (even if through an election) to facilitate the faith's aims, and therefore immune from mere human complaints and investigations. And, of course, Barr wants to advance the metaphor further, by re-framing the purpose of the DOJ into an arm of a New Inquisition against heretics who don't align with his faith.
I wonder what Trump & Cronies Inc. may have on Barr that he would take this stand. He's just another national disgrace in a long line of them. It's unfortunate for Trump that John Dillinger is no longer with us; Trump would have appointed him director of the FBI.
Where are the decent Republican Senators? Are they really going to sit there and allow Trump to fire Wray, which undoubtedly is coming? Are they going to confirm another sycophant as a replacement? When and where does it end? What is wrong with these people? An attorney general who actively, day after day, denigrates law enforcement and peddles conspiracy theories? You would think Republicans would be ashamed and embarrassed by now and finally give up trying to defend the indefensible, yet they continue to double down? Astonishing.
Please, please vote for whoever the Democrats end up nominating - time is of the essence.
Mueller, then Barr, and now Durham. When are people going to realize that “reputable” people, who agree to work for Trump, is an oxymoron.They only agree and are able to work for Trump because they have abandoned any critical or moral sensibilities in obeisance to bizarre conspiracy theories that they somehow believe are going to “prove”. It should be clear to anyone who is mot a Trump supporter, thar Durham is no more reliable than Guiliani and you can’t believe ANYTHING he will say. I can’t think of worse insult for anyone pretending to be a real lawyer. If he ever had any credibility, he is about to squander it attempting to defend an unscrupulous, unprincipled crook.
Let's go after Cadet Bone Spurs, and Mr. Farface Toad. Two bad guys.
In a children's book, they would have been eaten, maybe by a friendly tiger, who are nice.
But, they deserve to be savaged by mythical creatures, in my historical reasoning.
I wish the worst to the both of them, though it is not karmically good.
The Republican Party would prefer a more Russian-style FBI than the one that has evolved out of American values.
This is a classic example of placing form over substance. The substance was that the FBI spied on a political campaign and on US citizens involved in that campaign. The form that justified that spying might have been good enough, but, with more impartial, thorough people involved, it might not have been. In any case, the form was such that substantial corrective action was needed and is now being implemented.
We have to get real about this. We have an extremely powerful FISA court that is virtually opaque, FBI agents that deceived that FISA court using, among other things, a contrived report of dubious validity that was a document paid for by the opposing political party. And we are totally comfortable with this?
If the FBI can spy on political campaigns and US citizens for politically motivated reasons, we are all in peril, particularly, the "deplorables" who were vile enough to vote for Trump.
1
I commend AG Barr.
I have read much of the report. Please read report first before throwing wild accusations. Both are right 8n the mark.
Read Chapter 3 on that brit - Steele who fed FBI bogus "election intelligence"
And read chapter 9 on Ohr who started it all as he was a friend of Steele. And Ohr had absolutely no authority to feed this unverified info to FBI. But it was taken credible because Ohr was a deputy DA. And of course, his wife worked for Fusion who had Steele.
The IG report seems to say that the Russians did not interfere but Steele, Ohr and other Trump haters in DOJ who pushed this narrative.
He made up this whole dossier - all for some $100,000 plus.
And if the FBI director continues to make these nonsensical statements - AG Barr should fire him in the interests of our country.
And AG Barr should issue an opinion from Legal Counsel that binds the whole Executive that never again in our history will FBI or anybody else will open an investigation into a campaign of a national candidate.
This was FBI and DOJ working in cahoot to thwart a great democracy.
2
No partisan behaviour by the F.B.I. If they made any mistakes it was likely the result of aggressive pursuit of the truth and the nefarious behaviour of Corrupt Trump and others in his campaign. Corrupt Trump gave the nation as well as the F.B.I. reason to suspect he colluded with Russians to obtain the presidency. Many of his campaign and early Administration key people have been convicted as a result of the Mueller report.
Bill Barr has forever shredded his reputation by selling our the Justice Department and the American people. He is another of the end justifies the means "Christians." Their ill gotten gains only turns more Americans against the Christian religion and will drive Americans to demand secularism.
So now Trump and Barr want to take over the FBI with their own hand-picked apparatchik, creating their own internal police force and furthering their dictatorial takeover of government. Trump's methods are looking increasingly like dictatorial standard operating procedure, creating, for example, a ruthless war on immigration which resembles Duterte's war on drugs, a cult of personality ("lock her up"), and a total intolerance of dissenting voices. We are truly in trouble.
1
Let’s see, General: You are really exercised, then, about the president’s bribing a foreign government to investigate an American citizen for advantage to a domestic political campaign, right?
Who is it that appointed the F.B.I. Director? The same bumbling President that appointed all the other retired or fired government officials. 2020 election can't come soon enough.
2
Trump is broadcasting his punches once again. This will all be a rationale to politically cleanse another agency and put adoring sycophants into all positions of responsibility just like he is in State, and will complete if he wins the next election. And yet his supporters love this.
2
Mr. Barr has become the most unprofessional AG in my memory. He faked the Mueller report with obvious impunity. The Mueller's report still hasn't been released with no good reason not to do so. I don't like the term toady but Barr's standing as an unbiased gate keeper of the law is gone. He faked the Meuller report with obvious impunity. The Mueller's report still hasn't been released with no good reason not to do so. I don't like the term toady but Barr's standing as an unbiased gate keeper of the law is gone. His subsequent career after his leaving the WH will be difficult for him to escape and difficult for him to salvage.
As FBI director if you suspect a hostile foreign power has infiltrated any political party's presidential campaign, you are more than justified in taking drastic measures such as electronic surveillance for national security purposes. Given the widespread activities of Russian operatives during the 2016 presidential campaign, the FBI had no other choice but to implement such measures. The expulsion of Russian agents by the Obama administration, shutting down a residence used by those same Russian agents, and the meeting on June 9, 2016 in Trump Tower would lead any rational person to think the same way. Vladimir Putin is not our friend, and apparently, Donald Trump doesn't know it. Is a Trump Tower Moscow more important than America's national security? I don't think so and neither should you.
4
"The greatest danger to our free system is that the incumbent government use the apparatus of the state, principally the law enforcement and intelligence agencies, both to spy on political opponents but also to use them in a way that could affect the outcome of an election,” Mr. Barr said. However using foreign government for the very same purpose? No problem at all! Does this guy actually listen to himself?!
4
I understand Trump's frustration and I understand that the FBI's intentions are beyond reproach. Mistakes were made, unquestionably. However, I don't blame anyone in the department for not knowing what they could not have known without direct data that they were never given and never could have accessed. How could they know without data? In case you have not already, my texts will point you in the right direction.
I seriously doubt it.
1
For a head of a nation's justice department, Barr takes a very novel view of law enforcement here by giving voice to serious doubts about its institutions.
Such sceptical views are not new: many people wonder about the victims of wrongful convictions resulting from prosecutorial misconduct, but these are not commonly shared in the circles of law enforcement itself.
Wider adoption of such ideas may lead the way toward abandoning reliance on these (clearly not infallible) institutions, possibly lending wider support for dismissing and defying judgements.
We may soon witness the defiance not just of lower court orders and subpoenas, but of those of the U.S. Supreme Court as well, as Paul Begala has recently suggested.
It will be very interesting to see what Bill Barr's reactions will be when this happens. Will Barr enforce such orders when they do not favor his client's interests or views?
5
I thought AG Barr had an education.
I thought he claimed to be a Christian.
He has lost it all and sold himself to a master con.
11
distraction effort from the impeachment , while taking down another institution for another yes man, good job, Barr.
7
Barr is driving Trump's getaway car - repeatedly.
15
When Trump fires Wray we will be one step closer to a fascist state.
13
When the Senate finds Trump not guilty of obstruction, thus completely gutting Congressional oversight power, we will be an autocracy. When there is no civil check on a leader’s power, he essentially is a monarch. Thank you, GOP.
8
The damage this fraudulent admin has bestowed on America's institutions will last well into the next century. They don't like the answer they get so it's all fake, fake news, this and that. And as of now, they've fooled a solid third of voters with their self-serving politics.
7
How it is that you are not taking to the streets I'll never understand.
177
An excellent comment; it will likely
come to that before the thuggish Trump regime crumbles.
37
Because people are working 2 or 3 jobs just to stay afloat and they have been snowballed to believe that protesting is unpatriotic.
39
@Trento Cloz Well if you are working 2 or 3 jobs to pay your bills, there's not a lot of time left. And when you know that many Trumpsters are armed to the teeth and eager to fire away to defend their false god, you think twice about things...
46
Wray simply spoke the truth. It’s a sad commentary on our current state of affairs that his words seem heroic in this age of disinformation and lies.
202
...and that he may very well be fired for it.
6
So the Republicans will not fire Trump. But within a month he will do something more egregious than he's ever done. And then they will pay the price. This is how Trump rolls. He loves it.
4
@karen They will pay nothing because they will insist there is nothing to see. And besides, the Bowl games are coming up.
Well, Trump got it half right when he said we’d be tired of winning all the time. I’m tired.
8
If the report is criticized by Trump and Barr (who give a new subterranean meaning to "lowlife"),
it must be honorable and honest.
Two qualities sorely missing in Trump and Barr. If they sink any lower, they can shake hands with President Xi when they resurface.
11
Focusing on Barr’s opinion is playing into his propaganda campaign. Please focus on what credible sources have to say.
20
Why not let Barr (and Durham) investigate? If indeed nothing is there, then nothing will be found. The investigators, Barr, et al, will have "egg on their face" ... just like Mueller.
4
@BD because Barr has proven several times he is willing to tell bald-faced lies to protect Trump, and his hand-picked guy is likely carrying his water. Durham broke DOJ policy yesterday when he weighed in about not agreeing with the Inspector General, at a time when his investigation is not complete, so now he has demonstrated he is willing to break rules to support Barr's alternate reality. Anything these two come up with is likely to be a smear job, not a credible report.
3
If you would’ve told me 10 years ago the GOP would cover for a POTUS who attacks the FBI, CIA, military leaders, etc I would have had ocean front property in Nebraska to sell you... and the worst part of it is, this is all racially motivated. Putin saw the weakness, exploited it, and here we are.
We’ve never faced our nation’s original sin and it could cost us our republic.
27
The 94% of Trump voters solidly behind him aren't too worked up over an Inspector General who has been part of the corrupting D.C. swamp culture for far too long.
Messieurs Barr and durham are publicly disappointed in the man AND have the authority to take several of the people ignored by the IP STRAIGHT to federal grand juries for criminal indictment.
No nation can afford to just ignore such patent law-breaking as happened to such totally innocent people as Carter Page and George Papadopoulos.
Had they been Democratic Party aides put through all this, their names would be inked into progressive forearms from Boston to Bakersfield.
4
There is so much nothing there, I don’t where to begin. How many in the 2016 campaign were indicted, convicted or plead guilty? Which foundation was shuttered for being a personal slush fund? There may have been mistakes, but there was plenty of reasonable suspicion to warrant investigations. Mueller’s report was not an exoneration. It specifically left the decision for action to the body that that the constitution gives authority to act, the congress.
3
I continue to be shocked and deeply disappointed that so many Americans willingly support an obvious move towards dictatorship and tyranny.
So Trump AND the AG think the FBI Director is disloyal because he tells the truth? 40 percent of America propping up Trump and his madness?
I didn’t think America would fall like this....
27
“With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!”
Translated: "The FBI has failed to get its mind right. It still thinks it is supposed to be an objective investigatory entity. We may have to take certain steps ... "
8
Benedict barr selling us out to his king. Have to wonder why. Arnold, along with his wife peggy, who was the highest paid spy during the revolutionary war, took a bunch of bucks to work for the british against the revolution. I have to wonder what benedict barr's price is and where it's hidden. It's inconceivable to me he'd be sacrificing his lifetime's reputation and morals for anything but financial gain. Normal for this administration.
10
“I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me.”
Note that Donnie did NOT claim to have READ the Report and, of course, he DIDN'T!
He only knows what his buddies at Fox News have told him.
11
Barr is a bigger threat to our country, our constitution and our laws than Trump because he is smarter, craftier and more aloof than Trump could ever be. But between the two of them, if left unchecked, our security agencies are being undermined. Trump started this way back in 2016 and it continues now with the help of Barr. Barr is a sad excuse for a lawyer let alone the AG of our country. He is selling both positions out by lying for Trump. We have lost a precious thing; loss of confidence in the very offices this country must depend upon. We should be much more concerned with who might be the next president or face the fact that another Trump or worse may get the job. Barr is there until Trump is gone so let's vote the whole bunch out of office.
13
Unrelated to the specifics discussed in this article is the fact that during Comey's reign the FBI was bogged down with low morale due to weak leadership at HQ. Some of these "leaders" were vindictive resulting in many early retirements and various other types of departure to include questionable disciplinary charges. Some of these "leaders" are still in place and hopefully they will be removed.
1
@Donald, your claims of low confidence during Comey’s tenure at the FBI are untrue. Refer back to NYT article of August 2017 which referenced three years of internal FBI surveys showing confidence by employees of 4/5 for the leadership of James Comey, in addition to McCabe’s testimony before a hostile Republican committee in Congress that Comey was well liked and respected by the employees of that agency.
Right now, the FBI is being attacked by the AG and our own president, that is enough to bring morale down. But I personally take heart in remembering that it was Mark Felt, former Associate Director of the FBI, that exposed Nixon and his crimes. I’m sure that is why Trump is afraid of the FBI. They are the true patriots in defending our country and take their oath of office more seriously than he does.
3
@Donald Your contention is false and typical of those who embrace the fantasy and lies sold by Fox News, et al:
www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/us/politics/comey-fbi-agents-confidence-survey.html
There was no low morale during Comey's tenure. Using political bias as a litmus test would only serve to damage American Democracy even further.
@Jane K As stated my comments unrelated to ongoing issues. My comment is based upon first hand knowledge. One should not believe everything written in the NYT. Perfect example being the support of Schiff re. Russian collusion.
1
So is Carter Page a Russian agent? Presumably the FBI had him under surveillance for months, October 2016 through at least June 2017 when the fourth FISA application was approved. After all those months of wiretapping, eavesdropping and observation, what, if anything, did the FBI come up with? To date he hasn’t been charged with anything, He is either the most clever master spy in the history of espionage, or he was a convenient pretext for opening a counterespionage investigation of the presidential campaign of an candidate some FBI leaders found abhorrent.
3
"The greatest danger to our free system is that the incumbent government use the apparatus of the state ... in a way that could affect the outcome of an election."
I don't see how anyone could embrace this statement and dismiss the legitimacy of the House impeachment inquiry.
16
Discrediting the country’s intellligence services means that trump and his followers can dismiss those agencies’ findings when they reveal the duplicity of the current republican leadership. Trump always goes on the offensive when he has something to hide. But even if all his crimes are exposed, he’s making sure no one will believe it.
9
The Wray issue allows our learned correspondents of the progressive warfront to just ignore the real news of this young week:
it’s now official that ''Russia, Russia, Russia'' really was a completely faked news story from the start.
There was never ANY factual basis for the FBI to spy on Donald Trump’s campaign.
The supposedly pivotal statement at a bar spoken to the Australian liberal politician by a long-forgotten low-level staffer for Trump was FED to him just that week by FBI spy Joseph Mifsud.
That means there was no need for the appointment of a special counsel and that Robert Mueller should have stayed in his semi-sentient retirement.
It means these years of rumors and accusations and the giant cloud of suspicions over the White House produced by Mueller’s disappointed office-seekers devoted to Hillary Clinton were unfair and unjustified.
It also means J. Edgar Hoover can finally rest in peace, now that we know that James Comey is revealed to be the most easily bought-off lawman ever to run the FBI.
Progressives' first reaction to Comey's firing was right - he neede badly to be replaced.
Whoever convinced young Democrats to man the barricades for Comey-as-sacrifical-lamb lied all the way home that month.
4
L’ossevatore
Again, trump supporters repeat lies, over and over, in the face of easily understood truths, in order to con susceptible people.
Not to have opened an investigation would have been malfeasance.
That's okay - the majority of Americans have no confidence in his abilities as President, not Barr's as AG. Nor, for that matter, any of his other appointees, acolytes and enablers.
16
Trump and Barr "criticize FBI director"?
So the organized crime racketeer and his consigliere "criticize" a lawman who's actually doing his job? How is this any different? Oh right, both Trump and Barr swore oaths of office...
What target of a criminal conspiracy investigation DOESN'T dislike whomever is doing the investigating?
Nixon criticized Archibald Cox too. So what?
And of course Barr has destroyed the credibility of the "Justice" Department, perhaps forever, but utterly abandoning any pretense of serving the nation or the law.
And this is yet another Trump Bizarro world take on events whereby the malefactor actually blames the law! Utterly mind-boggling.
16
Barr thinks presidential candidates are presidents and are legally protected as such.
Of course, the candidate has to be from one of the two major parties.
Of course, none of the investigations the F.B.I. conducted concerning the Trump campaign was made public. Comey kept that under wraps, so there was no effect on the outcome. The same cannot be said for the Clinton campaign, yet Barr has not said a word about that.
So, to recap, Barr believes Republican presidential candidates have the same protections as a president.
15
Director Wray is an excellent, honest public official. Which is why that racketeer Trump is going after him. We are lucky that he and his counterparts in the State a department are taking their oaths of office seriously. It is disgraceful that GOP members of Congress show such little regard for theirs. Bring on the RICO indictments.
21
At this point the executive branch is out of control. What can we the people do?
22
@Jim
Em.. No responses for a hard question. So....
May be we could set him up on the Whitehouse lawn in a dunking "booth" and raise lots of cash to reduce the outrageous deficit brought on by those tax cuts for his friends. OR.....
...we could send him to Ford's Theatre for another sort of "Booth".
Oh well, just imagining out loud here.
1
"“I think our nation was turned on its head for three years based on a completely bogus narrative that was largely fanned and hyped by a completely irresponsible press,” Mr. Barr said on Tuesday."--
Actually the nation has been turned on its head by Attorney General Barr who has imposed his own personal beliefs on the Justice Department and he hopes the entire nation.
Why does he have an Inspector General investigate anything if he immediately dismisses the conclusion and instead believes solely in a USSA of his own choosing?
Attorney General Barr has no concept of justice. He believes solely in authoritarian power guaranteed by his perverse conviction that his religious beliefs are the only true ones in the country.
21
@Mike Ramsey
He is like some Dickensian character ...along with Mike Pence.
Unctuous, sleazy, slimy in the vein of Uriah Heep.
1
Barr: "“The greatest danger to our free system is that the incumbent government use the apparatus of the state, principally the law enforcement and intelligence agencies, both to spy on political opponents but also to use them in a way that could affect the outcome of an election,”
My God! Does he not see the deadly and dreadful irony of his statements? And is this deep, deep corruption of the Trump administration not visible to every American, in terms of the threat it poses to their form of government and their very way of life! Has not just the GOP but some 40% of the electorate become so venal as not to react to this with just utter revulsion? Have Republican voters lost their soul to the Devil to such an extent that they will bear the destruction of the very institutions that sustain them, just for the briefiest of orgasmatic fulfillment of their deepest, darkest and dirtiest prejudices that Trump offers them?
23
Facts are facts. They used to be self-evident things. That one person can come to a different conclusion from the same facts is the basis of Joe Biden’s statement that Democrats aren’t interested in the truth, but rather the facts. That was not a gaffe; he was being honest. This is because the Democrats couldn’t care less about the truth because they know they can spin the facts to create whatever “truth” they desire, to advance their personal political agenda. That is why when high-ranking Trump haters Strzok and Page were caught hatching their plans, no bias was found by IG Horowitz when the rest of us could see the obvious bias from a mile away. That Trump knows Shinola from the other stuff is becoming remarkably clearer every day to Americans. And that is why the impeachment trial will fail miserably in the Senate, as Americans call their Senators to support President Trump. And that is why Trump will win another term by a landslide in 2020.
5
@John Thanks for the late night comedy.
19
@John -- The fact is that Trump solicited Ukraine's help to interfere in the upcoming U. S. election which is a felony. The truth is that Trump solicited Ukraine's help in the upcoming U.S. election which is a felony.
The fact and the truth -- that Trump has told over 14,000 lies which Trump supporters do not acknowledge.
16
@John " And that is why Trump will win another term by a landslide in 2020."
Pretty much like the landslides that he won in 2018 and the landslide victories of the governorships that he won in LA and KY.
Sure
7
Eventually Trump will return to being a private citizen with a shady business and the FBI will be like a bunch of kids in a candy store.
6
Become a Russian spy, betray your country, run for president....get a pass from Barr.
Yeah, right.
14
Pretty simple: Trump said, essentially, that FBI Director Wray must have read a different report than he did. Given that Trump is close to functionally illiterate and that he says (proudly) that he rarely if ever reads -well, there you go.
Trump never read the report. Besides, there weren’t enough pictures in it. Kudos to Director Wray for speaking truth to power. Both Trump and Barr aren’t used to hearing the truth, or speaking it for that matter.
33
When Barr was presented the the Mueller report, he cherry picked what he needed and whitewashed it for the people on behalf of his de facto client, Trump. Same for the IG report. You have to give Trump credit; he has managed to have everyone in his circle somehow find their exit until all he is left with is lackeys that do his illegal bidding. They said it couldn't be done and that government doesn’t work like that, but with the help of a complicit GOP, I guess a President can get away with almost anything. Well, as long as the economy looks good, and it happens during a Republican Presidency.
15
Trump and Barr are using Newspeak. The EPA is an agency that promotes pollution. The Justice Department is becoming the opposite. Doesn’t anyone in this administration understand the role of the civil service? The federal bureaucracy is not the deep state: it is us. Vilifying the Executive Branch in this way is just so short sighted: the continuity of our government rests in those workers who are managed under civil service regulations and competitive exams!
13
Of course, these two are a day late and a dollar short. What else can we expect from elected officials who don't read? We are well past this issue, as POTUS has continued to act irresponsibly on a global scale.
8
"For example, though Mr. Trump himself was not under investigation, his actions puzzled agents." Say what you will about Mr. Trump, but his actions are anything but subtle. He will viciously and relentlessly go after every rival, hitting on anything that could be perceived as being negative in the public perception. As a consequence, he is opportunistic by default. So I don't think Mr. Trump puzzles anybody, and surely not hard-nosed intelligence agents, who are trained to see through the most cunning plots.
4
Barr reveals the sinister side that even so-called establishment Republicans possess. And he exposes the very thin line separating the Republican establishment and Trumpism.
4
What is most offensive is not so much that Trump will fire the head of the FBI, but that in his place another Barr will be anointed to serve as Trumps personal protector.
What is offensive is that Barr announces his disagreement with the new FBI report and that the only report that will be correct if a report by his own man investigating the same issue, even though that report is only half way there.
But he already knows the outcome as he told that lawyer what he expect to see.
What is offensive to at least half the country that the day off the announcement of the impeachment charges Trump receives the Russian foreign minister to the White House for a repeat performance of the Comey firing and proudly announces to him that he fires Comey.
What is offensive that on the day of the impeachment declaration, Pelosi announces proudly that they approve the new Trump
trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.
What country are we living in that all these things can all happen in one morning.
How much corruption can be tolerated by the Democrats and Republicans before this country becomes a full copy of a corrupt Russia and the world will be controlled by three dictators.
Designed by Putin, followed by China and now in a hurry followed by the USA.
It feels like we are in a new civil war situation, 42% of the country moving nationalist against 52% who believes in integration and with 6% not knowing where the heck Is happening to them,
Do Americans really want a new war in America?
2
Nothing new here, "get over it".
This is how Trump rolls and now Barr will even do cartwheels to please Trump.
Wray will be gone but not just yet.
Trump will make his life miserable just like he did with Sessions. It will take time but the fix is in. Wray will be replaced by some Trump lackey.
This is our new normal.
According to Trump and his supporters "get over it". Is this what Americans want?
We'll have to see in Nov 2020.
19
“The greatest danger to our free system is that the incumbent government use the apparatus of the state, principally the law enforcement and intelligence agencies, both to spy on political opponents but also to use them in a way that could affect the outcome of an election,” Mr. Barr said in an interview with NBC News... Holy Guacamole, I have seen some black pots, but not even Stephen Hawking could describe the color of this one !!!
17
You nailed it. That was my thought exactly when I read this.
6
Our democracy is dying. Is it too late?
24
Is there truly no republican that will stand up and and join the impeachment process. The last vestige of what America was and is supposed to be are vanishing.
31
We have to wake up. There is something very sinister going on in the Trump administration when the AG and the president consistently attack the intelligence and the legal community. This coupled with the support of Russia in every department is more than we need to put up with. The problem is that Trump has gained support over both these areas with Barr. Perhaps we should develop an independent investigative body with the help of Interpol to feret out what has been going on.
13
Truth is not dying.
It is too simple to be diminished by any parade of smoke and mirrors. It is the essence of humility, leaving it untouched and unsullied by any garbage fight. It is the green stem of grass that bends and stands straight again after the hurricane passes.
Our Constitution attempts to express Truth in words of integrity and basic wisdom. But obviously, even this noble effort falls short of the very living nature of Truth.
The grandest paradox of all is that Truth resides within inside of every breath that comes to you.
So, when this insane tug of war wears you down to the point of screaming 'bloody murder", take a long deep breath. Feel the blessing, the simplicity, the joy.
In creations great wisdom, Truth was placed so very close by, supremely accessible, in case we really needed it.
Cheers!
1
The amount of trouble we are in now is directly related to the amount of power, additional power, we have granted a president without considering such a situation might ever happen.
We are in a fine fix and we had better find our way back to the status quo ante at least and then fix this.
12
Democratic candidate platform....
I will restore America
I will in my first 5 days of office....
Fire attorney general Barr.
Fire Secretary of State Pompeo.
Fire EPA Secretary Pruitt.
Fire every political appointee of Trump.
SIGN executive orders reinstating the Paris accord, the Iran nuclear deal, the clean air and water act and reverse every single executive order Trump has ordered.
Reverse the massive tax break for the wealthiest Americans.
Sign common sense gun regulation.
Offer legislation to reverse Citizen United laws to reduce money in politics.
36
@DC Dan🇺🇸
Why wait 5 days? If I were elected, I’d have my chosen chief of staff notify the entire cabinet and Trump’s staff ahead of time to have their resignations on my desk by the time I got back from the inauguration, and if any of them didn’t, I’d have the White House Police escort them out of their offices for a nationally-televised Perp Walk.
13
What’s the point of having an “independent” Inspector General if his work can be tossed out at the whim of the AG? And who is paying Durham to investigate conspiracy theories that politically benefit Trump? Does anybody really think that Durham’s investigation isn’t politically motivated? And is any Trump appointee working to ensure that Russia isn’t meddling in the 2020 election?
21
If tomorrow Trump decided to go to Mars, would anyone try to dissuade him?
9
Getting Trump out is now doubly important---Barr is just a dangerous as Trump, if not more.
12
The truth is a very hard pill for Trump and Barr to swallow.
9
I see an acting director in the FBI's imediate future.
Toadys line up on the right,
sycophants line up on the left.
8
What kind of country do wit live in when the POTUS and the AG as for an investigation for bias reasons, and then criticize the non bias report forgot coming to the conclusion that they want.
Barr and trump are both corrupt, and they are both traitors to their office and to the country
16
This is typical of Trump's Big Brother politics, which are made worse by Twitter and manipulation of social media and mass communications -- amazing how the Internet's free Information Age has imprisoned us.
Since Trump will undoubtably be acquitted by McConnell and his brainwashed power-hungry red hats, last remaining hope is for Americans to see through this and vote him out in 2020.
Hopefully we the people can resist the Orwellian 1984 propaganda campaign that has demented almost half the country and reclaim our spirit and integrity.
9
The Department of Justice Website still has this posting from February 16, 2018:
“The indictment charges thirteen Russian nationals and three Russian companies for committing federal crimes while seeking to interfere in the United States political system, including the 2016 Presidential election. The defendants allegedly conducted what they called “information warfare against the United States,” with the stated goal of “‘spread[ing] distrust towards the candidates and the political system in general.’”
William Barr has failed to dismiss this indictment. No Republican has asked that the indictment be dismissed.
The reason is simple, Barr and the GOP know the indictment speaks the truth, yet they will lie to the public. Barr dare not dismiss the indictment for he knows dismissal is the act of a true traitor to our country.
5
The Attorney General is a total embarrassment to this country. And now he has Mr. Durham looking for dirt and making a political case against the FBI. Mr. Barr is only upset because Mr. Horowitz got his report done first, and this led the news on this topics - which is - the FBI was honorable in their intent. They know no one will believe Mr. Durham anymore
15
I never thought I would see the day when we’d have trolls as the President of the United States and the Attorney General of the United States, yet, here we are. Tragic.
27
Barr has no more credibility than Trump himself.
14
Ah, Bill Barr Trumps personal AG! Barr should try to be the AG for the people of the United States.
4
How is it possible that barr and trump question the honest, forthright, and full accounts of those investigated by the IG - who are, only in a few cases, indicated as having been careless/sloppy -none acting in malice or intentional deceit- WHEN trump and barr have refused and silenced dozens of witnesses. How do those in power accept this? We, the mere people, have no recourse so we depend on you Dems and any other honest actors in govt.
The trump bozo person in the white house (plus trump family) and his conspirators mislead, claim to not remember, hide evidence, memos, calls, records -govt docs investigators and even we, the people, should all see. They have done this with Mueller and now Congress. Yet they dare criticize others who are honest and cooperating.
Why do so few focus on how corrupt trump, barr, pompeo, giuliani, mulvaney, etc... are and the hypocrisy of criticizing all the others now exonerated yet fully cooperative. They all should sue for slander - recording each and every time. Where are all the good attorneys in the US?
7
Barr’s comments are irresponsible and disgusting and he needs to be impeached. Can’t have top law enforcement officer in the country not obey the laws, particularly when it involves treason, one of the highest crimes possible against our country.
11
Putin has installed puppets as President, Attorney General, Sec of State, of course the FBI is next.
9
Meet the new F.B.I director, Ruddy Giuliani!
12
Ukraine Rudy heading to D.C to run the FBI. His nomination would sail thru the senate in 3 minutes. The Republican Senate needs to be replaced. period Not in my 60 odd years have I ever been more ashamed of being an American.
20
Trump and Barr are good at working the refs -- too bad they fail as public servants.
4
Didn't Barr recently say that those who don't support law enforcement might lose its help or some such? He must consider himself a special privledge case. I consider him a fascist.
15
when is some Republican going to stand up....WHEN!!!
13
@pditty Never, they love their power too much to put an end to this.
1
Why not a citizen arrest of Barr, Pompeo, Pence and Trump?
5
I just heard our supposed AG, Bill Barr, on radio say that there was no factual basis for the Trump-Russia investigation because there was no collusion with Russia. Collusion is not a legal term, as Barr should well know, and that's why he uses it. Apparently, being a devout Catholic no longer means believing in the stricture against lying or bearing false witness. Or maybe it's dementia - it does seem to run in the Trump administration.
Anyway, there was lots of collusion as detailed in the Mueller report. But Mueller couldn't ESTABLISH a CONSPIRACY which is the actual legal standard. That was at least partly because witnesses refused or were not available to testify, and some suspects used encrypted communications or deleted relevant communications. This includes five key individuals: Donald Trump Jr, Konstantin Kilimnik (in Russia), Paul Manafort (refused to cooperate and is in jail), Roger Stone (also refused to cooperate and going to jail), and Julien Assange (fighting extradition).
Trump's connections to Russia aren't going away, no matter how dishonest his AG's pronouncements are.
10
Trump and Barr criticizing the report is all the validation anyone should need to prove that the investigation was justified. Plus their criticism speaks to the need for further investigations.
5
This is chilling--exactly the pattern I saw when studying Latin America as a doctoral fellow at the University of New Mexico. The Trump administration increasingly resembles the jackals running the banana republics that our own CIA and military in the '50s, '60s and '70s worried were vulnerable to Russian influence and could fall 'like dominoes' just beyond our southern border.
Who could have imagined it would be our own president who would invite the Russians in through the back door?
18
Call me a simple-minded optimist, but in jointly attacking the credibility and integrity of the FBI on the Russian investigation, Trump and Barr have seriously overplayed their hand.
How it is going to hurt them is that a number of key Republican senators are going to wash their hands off Trump. They may not openly defy him. but their support for him is going to wane.
I doubt whether there will be enough GOP senators to turn against Trump in the impeachment trial, but he should not be too confident he will get a pass.
6
This is the problem with having only sycophants around - no doubt they told Trump that the report exonerated him. And no doubt the DOJ inspector writing the report tried to provide enough Trump could latch on to as positive in order to cushion the truth and protect his career given that his report said the FBI did the right thing for the right reasons.
Trump was quite sure his DOJ run by his toady would exonerate him, and I'm sure there was a ton of pressure, implied and outright, to make it as positive to Trump and as negative to the FBI as possible - and they still could only come up with saying that maybe they had a few incorrect procedures.
6
Jared could be the new FBI Director in his spare time now that he's so close to finishing up on solving the Palestinian crisis.
17
Barr learned from past Republican administrations to get what you want. In the past, rely on the Defense Intelligence Agency to say what you want, discredit the CIA and go to war on Iraq. Barr has created an alternate investigation outside the DOJ IG to do the same. Unfortunately for Barr, we all aren't that stupid.
10
Barr is entirely corrupt and should also be impeached. And the in the states where he is licensed, he should be disbarred.
21
America’s Sun King does not tolerate anything less than the total subservience. So Low Barr does just fine.
7
I smell another Obstruction of Justice wofting in the air.
4
Trump despises anyone who does not march to his lopsided, myopic, unqualified drumbeat. Hats off to the FBI Director!
8
Why do GOP officials love Trump and power SO much more than they love their country? Living examples of all that is most pathetic and sad about our species.
10
McCabe should be exonerated fully from all of trump's unjustified pillorying, his reputation restored. and full restitution of cancelled or suspended benefits. But this is hardly enough. trump should be sued for gross personal libel and penalized for unfairly, gratuitously and brazenly besmirching McCabe's character. A trump apology? Naw ... it’s worthless.
5
What about appointing Ivanka, Jared or Rudy as FBI directors? Or wait: Melania! She'll make a good figure for photo ops and "she is the only one who can say what she thinks to his face". Good thing she doesn't seem to be thinking much in general so that would go down very well. Or that goofy son of his the one with the beard. In any case it has to be someone close to Trump, someone loyal and wacky otherwise this ain't working out Donald.
1
To paraphrase Orwell: Doublethink.
'How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?'
'Four.'
'And if the party says that it is not four but five -- then how many?'
'How can I help it?' he blubbered. 'How can I help seeing what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four.'
'Sometimes, Winston. Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane.' Or a Trump supporter.
Drain the swamp. Replace all members of the National Security apparatus and restaff them with operatives proven loyal to Trump.
Re-brand.....F.B.I. to Trump's Bureau of Investigation. C.I.A.? Trump's Intelligence Agency.
Rudy, Barr and Lindsey Graham are ready to step in and take over.......
5
“I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. “With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!”
Does the President Donald J Trump know how to read?
4
Trump and Barr are making their bid to be co dictators in 2020 and if Trump's cult and FOX STATE TV go into their frenzy of ranting and raving about a deep state Trump will be our dictator in 2020 and he will unravel our democracy.
6
It would be nice to see some oversight of DOJ. I’m sure he’ll turn tail and hide like Pompeo and the rest, but really and truly Barr deserves to have a standing weekly grilling before the various committees.
1
"...despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!”
Read: those that are loyal to me. That is what's happening as we speak. The disloyal in the DOJ and the FBI are being cleared out, or swearing fealty to the one that Barr has publicly stated, without shame, to have been elected to the presidency by God Himself.
2
Is there no one in the Republican party who can stand up to Trump? Does he actually have everyone so scared that they are willing to destroy their reputations and careers and wind up being written up as spineless in our history books? I wonder when he will replace Melania? You think I'm joking? She's getting a little long in the tooth for Trump's taste in women. Putin dumped his wife. Remember? And Trump worships Putin. If he gets past this impeachment, there will be no stopping him. First his VP; then his wife.
2
Trump could murder a dozen people in broad daylight. AG Bill Barr, would say if was the victim's fault. Republican Senators and Congressmen would say it never happened. And his base would see nothing wrong with it.
9
It's as if Americans know the FBI did a good job on this report if Barr and Trump are criticizing it!
5
It seems Donald Trump is out of his mind and unable to comprehend our constitution, independence of our institutions and accept the fairness of the investigations which he orders. At this point our country should have an election to “recall” this president who got almost 4 millions less popular vote in 2016.
2
@CTBlue
He's not out of his mind. He knows exactly what he's doing.
1
First Comey and perhaps now Wray? The law giving the president the power to fire an FBI director at his discretion needs to be changed so that the agency can't be politicized. I'm sure Trump would like to have a Barr-like lackey to head the agency and would take orders to investigate and intimidate a president's perceived enemies in Congress and the media. Sort of like what Barr is doing now with his worldwide probe of U.S. intelligence agencies in the Russia investigation.
2
This is a terrible time in our history when those who stand by the truth are vilified by the president. Equally horrifying is that these falsehoods are joined by Republicans who don’t have the moral courage or perhaps ability to uphold the truth.
We’ve left that fiction behind forever that Republicans occupy some higher moral ground over others. Just the opposite is true.
5
Vilified by the President AND Attorney General. We know and expect trump to lie and thwart the truth. It’s even more chilling at this point to hear the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government do the same.
1
With the report of Justice Department inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, who found that political bias did not influence FBI investigative decisions, we can now infer that Bonnie and Clyde did not rob banks; rather they mistakenly gave tellers holdup notes when they meant to use withdrawal slips, at banks they mistakenly thought they had accounts, though they did make serious errors when they engaged in gunfights with over-policing law enforcement personnel.
3
@Edwin: What's your evidence that there was political bias in the FBI decision to open investigations into Page and Papadapoulos, and to seek FISA warrants for them? Horowitz stated that he (and his team) found no such evidence. What evidence did you find and how did you find it? Really, we want to know.
5
Nothing matters more than defeating Trump at the ballot box now.
But, you know, Mayor Pete worked for McKinsey and Biden has a super PAC so they’re as bad as Trump according to the far left.
We’re doomed. Trump will win re-election unless the Democrats can quit squabbling and unite.
4
All I can say is that your Barney Rubble look alike AG is no Elliot Richardson. What a corrupt individual who clearly doesn't believe in the Constitution.
13
@Aaron of London
I'm going with Fred Flintstone.
2
For somebody carrying so much of Trump’s water around, Bill Barr looks super unfit.
8
Trump and Barr are dishonest crooks trying to sell false conspiracy theories to the rubes in the MAGA-head base, aided and abetted by the liars at Fox News.
The nation does not deserve these charlatans.
6
barr and trump should be in prison. At the very least, both should be impeached, convicted and removed from office. barr should be disbarred.
5
Looks like Wrey is the next to go
Looks like Trump has found someone as loyal as Michael Cohen. And who has about the same commitment to ethical standards and public service.
It's more than a little troubling that Barr seems to think that foreign interference with elections isn't really that important. I suppose that's meant to signal something not only to Trump, but to foreign governments....about our erstwhile commitment to democracy.
1
Best as I know, a FISA approval takes more and more facts to continue.
That said, even if the FBI had brought a mimeographed copy in smeared blue ink of "THE DOSSIER", and suitcases full of cash, to get the FISA started, to check on someone who, admittedly, was not a key factor in Trump losing the election by 3 million votes, it does not matter in the Articles of Impeachment.
No matter what Trump or Barr or Rush or Sean or ... claim.
Indeed, out of 2 million + non-military Federal workers, there are a whole lot of procedures that aren't followed.
Benghazi "happened" from routines going back years. The EPA and C-8? The FAA and planes crashing?
1
I have great respect for the men and women of the FBI. I especially respect their discretion, which prevents them from leaking sensitive information about US citizens, including Trump, Barr and their kind. But I would ask them now, please, for the sake of our country, to set that discretion aside.
10
I predict that soon enough, being fired by Pres. Trump will become a badge of honor among those who respect the Constitution.
19
It already is.
2
Well-named, this Barr is so low ...
9
“I don’t care how I’m remembered,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told HuffPost. “I care that the American people elected this guy president, he’s doing a great job, and [the Democrats] have zero facts on their side to remove this guy from office.”
Jordan said he was worried about Democrats never accepting the 2016 election outcome, as well as the “arrogance” of people like Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan, who testified before the Judiciary Committee last week that Trump should be impeached. “The arrogance that lady had for hillbillies like Jim Jordan from Ohio, or Mark Meadows from the mountains of North Carolina, or anyone across the heartland who voted for this president,” said Jordan, a seven-term congressman, “the disdain that she had for us, you know, regular folk.”
The always pathetic Jordan doesn't care about protecting regular folk as evidenced when he didn't protect his student wrestlers from a fellow wrestling coach and sexual predator.
Jordan and Meadows are not 'regular folk' , they don't relate to a hard day's work that must cover rent/mortgage and food on the table and health insurance - they want to to take away all that from decent and regular folk - they want to strip away all government and hand 'regular folk over to the mercy of big corporations and Wall Street like all Libertarians and extreme Right Wingers...
29
Trump is running out of people to lie, cheat, and steal for him. The United States of America is being trashed by a crime organization, beholden to the Kremlin, and enabled by the Republican Party.
Thank you Christopher Wray for speaking the truth despite the risk to your career. I hope you will testify about everything you know regarding this treasonous president and his partners in crime.
32
You are wrong about one thing: there is a long line of people willing to lie and cheat for Trump. Likely one of them will soon be replacing Wray at the FBI. We may be witnessing the end of freedom in the United States.
4
@Barb Campbell Pretty soon Trump will be filling his administration with Russians on H-1B visas.
3
Donald Trump is a grave and present danger to our Democracy. Republicans must try and convict in the Senate. There is no other way to save our country. Just do it.
9
@Maxy Green
Republicans are the problem. They will not convict Trump. The solution is the ballot box next year.
1
@treabeton Ballot box will mean nothing to this President. Even if he loses 2:1 he will claim it was rigged, declare the election null and void, and remain in power until their is a new election, which will continue to be delayed for several years. Thus we are stuck with him, win or lose. So Republicans voting to convict are our only hope, sadly.
How many millions of dollars spent investigating the investigators does it take to get a preordained result? AG Barr is a despicable, hypocritical liar who is nothing more than a legal apologist for any crimes committed by Trump or his cohorts. Why not just declare the Constitution is voided by imperial edict and be done with it? I guess shredding by a million tiny cuts allows our AG to continue to masquerade as an honorable defender of said document.
Trump and his Republican lackeys have truly made me disgusted with America. And that's saying a lot considering the lies and obfuscations we suffered under Bush/Cheney.
27
Broken FBI? Differing reports? This clown show grows more absurd with each passing investigation. Looks like it is about time for a new IG and what the heck how about a new FBI director while we’re at it. Do we even have any need for an FBI or IG? Until they can manufacture some sort of narrative that falsely exonerates Trump they can not be trusted so what good are they? Looks like we only need one branch of accountability and it only needs to consist of two people, Trump and Barr. We can call it the department of conspiracy.
22
Ah...I see...it's a rerun of the apprentice show again. The President is the one who is the real apprentice and Congress should say loud and clear...YOU'RE FIRED!
15
Additional reasons why this Trump menace to civilized governance and the rule of law should be impeached, sooner rather than later. Perhaps Trump will replace Director Wray with the very amenable Jonathan Turley. What a team they would make, Barr fixing and Turley obfuscating.
12
Talk about coups. It looks like Barr is anxious to start prosecuting political opponents while creating his theocracy.
The republican cult has to be defeated in 2020 if we are going to have any hope of keeping our liberty.
32
Trump says that "Wray did not read the same report he did" For the first time in his term in office he has told the truth. Wray read the report, Trump may possibly have scanned a one page summary of it, leaving out all the parts that the synopsizer (if that is a word) knew he would not like. The other possibility is that he has only seen the Fox talking heads slam it to make him happy.
11
Barr is actually more dangerous to our country than Trump is. Barr speaks smoothly, if not eloquently, where Trump sounds like a petulant mobster. Barr can convince otherwise intelligent people that Trump has done nothing wrong because he speaks reasonably. He is providing cover for a criminal who otherwise would hang himself. Shame on an intelligent man who could protect his country but, instead supports its destruction.
19
Barr and the Republicans have made a Faustian bargain. Mephistopheles will collect.
17
@theresa
One can only hope.
4
Another FBI Director to be sacked by the most wonderful, most magnificent, most trustworthy, most reliable, most beautiful, most intelligent, most handsome, most visionary, most wonderful POTUS to have ever been selected by the Electoral College despite getting over 3 million fewer votes than his opponent. Will the criminal sitting in the Oval Office pretending to be POTUS now select a fellow grifter like himself to be the next FBI Director?
10
What more do citizens need to understand that Trump and his enablers will say and do ANYTHING to keep him in office? I fear for our country - when we are run by demagogues who continue to lie when faced with the truth.....when good people who stand up to them are dismissed.....we have entered into a dictatorship. I'm glad my parents, born in the 1920s, who lived through the rise and fall of similar dictatorships, are dead, because this would surely kill them.
11
We have two separate governments now.
The US government, and Trump’s “alt-government”.
Which one will win??
9
@Grove: I am terrified that Trump will not be convicted in the Senate, and may win re-election..
What are Barr, Jordan, Turley, Pompeo and others hoping to gain by defending this criminal? Some kind of renumeration from Trump Co. coffers? The three Chump children will never let Daddy give away their inheritance, unless it’s a filing for bankruptcy, of which they will have no knowledge, since they were so busy “working for America”
1
Imagine if a Clinton aide drunkly bragged to foreign officer that they had stolen information from the Trump campaign and were going to use it to embarass the and influence the US elections.
Now imagine that the FBI just sat that information and did nothing.
Do you think that Republicans would be okay with that?
7
It appears that both Barr and Trump are stepping up their games trying to become person of the year. Unfortunately, they are not vying for the coveted Time Magazine cover, but for the cover of some rag published in Moscow.
8
This may come as a surprise to Americans under the age of 50 but Once Upon a Time ... In DC an attorney general and his assistant both refused to protect a president from an investigation which ultimately led to articles of impeachment against him.
8
On the day that Trump was brought up on impeachment charges for basically being un-American, he did pro-Russia work. Seems about right.
6
So, a disagreement between two people, one of whom is Donald Trump.
Whom should I believe if I don’t have time to investigate for myself?
4
This is clearly a travesty on the part of Trump and his two stooges William Barr and Durham. Trump doesn't like the IG report or the Mueller report or any findings that do not support his paranoid conspiracies. Trump has merely added the Barr and Durham reports to counteract what they say and to confuse the general public. No professional prosecutors say their actions are normal. Quite the contrary, their actions and statements are highly irregular and break numerous professional protocols and normative practices. Under normal circumstances, they would be subject to professional discipline and censure, but now they just put out the counter narrative that the dictator Trump wants.
We are witnessing the demise of the Rule of Law, the onset of a dictator, and the decimating of our democracy. But republicans have lost their judgment and independence; they have sold their soul to a lying and abusive president. Whatever Trump wants to make up and claim to be the story they will fall in line and support. The GOP have become Putin's puppets. They are selling the Russian disinformation on Ukraine as their own position. They are colluding in the effort to deflect blame away from Russia and redirect it to the fall guy Ukraine.
In my view, with these new developments involving Barr and Durham, our democracy has been dealt a fatal blow. It has been lost, now in real time, not in the future. I am stunned, aghast, wounded seeing our great nation fall into ruin like this.
9
So everyone is saying the IG’s report “found that political bias did not influence investigative decisions. But it’s hard to believe that same political bias, indeed animus, toward Trump did not lead to the plethora of “mistakes” and “errors” by those individuals conducting the investigation. Clinesmith, Strzok, et al had an insatiable appetite to take down Trump. Funny how none of the “mistakes” benefited the President. Let’s hear what Durham finds out.
4
Law enforcement, in general, makes these “mistakes” all the time.
1
Did none of the mistakes benefit the president? Did you read the entire report that you are knowledgeable enough to make such a definitive statement? Or did you hear that on Fox News or talk around the office? It is an important difference. Primary sources and first hand investigation are becoming lost. Soon we will have to go to a museum to see a fact - right next to the dinosaurs.
1
@MJM You're kidding right? Another commenter here got it just right... he said this IG report was akin to finding that Bonnie and Clyde did not intend to do anything wrong... that they 'mistakenly' passed stick-up notes to tellers when they intended to hand them withdrawal slips. In clearing them the report said they also did not realize they didn't have any accounts at the banks. But the IG did take them to task for 'serous errors in judgement' when it came to engaging responding police officers in a gunfight. It's preposterous that the stated animus toward Trump of so many at the FBI involved in this investigation did not factor into all of these 'mistakes.' Let's see what Durham finds.
2
Barr should have been impeached and disbarred, too.
8
Do either trump or barr have any credibility that the world need worry about? Seriously, who listens to this administration anymore? What is the lie count up to now? Over 3,000? Lol, I mean the guy literally drew in an imaginary hurricane with a sharpie.
3
@Scott: "What is the lie count up to now? Over 3,000?"
If only.
As of Oct 14, it was up over 13,000.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/14/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/
2
@Lew Lol, my God. I've seen the number before but it's just incredibly difficult to let it sink in.
I'm at a loss to understand why Barr, a guy with a pretty solid legal career behind him, would throw away his integrity and dignity for a philandering bankrupt know-nothing. Let this be a lesson for the "conscience" voters who either stayed home because Bernie didn't get the nomination in 2016 or who thought Jill Stein was more in line with their fervent beliefs.
9
@Mark: Probably for reasons similar to Giuliani. "America's Mayor" will go down in history as "Trump's Bagman" and as a galloping mad conspiracy theorist. But for a brief moment, he got to be the center of attention and to vicariously enjoy immense power.
1
So, Bar and Trump got wind early that the 'bias' argument held no truth, so they initiated another, more friendly investigation a few weeks ago. This new investigation only needs to create flak, it only needs to further muddy the waters in the minds of the 30%, only needs to give Fox and Friends some content to peddle. This may be the new normal.
5
Barr ended his NBC interview with the statement that he did not know anything about Ukraine interference in the 2016 election. This claim, as the nation's so-called attorney general, speaks volumes about his dangerous motives. He surely knows that such interference has been debunked by all of his people in other agencies. To deny knowledge of this information demonstrates once again that he does not represent the people of the United States
9
Obama, when he learned of Russian interference in the 2016 election, kept it quiet for fear his sharing would be perceived as politically motivated. Trump, in sharp contrast, is attempting to manufacture political dirt and enlist foreign countries in spreading it to achieve his ends. I just don't understand the Republican position on Trump at all, not in any way that has any integrity.
9
Dont forget that barr’s resume also includes cutting short the Mueller inquiry, which we weren’t totally aware of at the time but now has become obvious.
4
First, he came for Director Comey.
29
Get ready because there is going to be four more years and we ain’t seen nothing yet
2
@Patrice: That doesn't inspire any confidence in me.
2
@Patrice
I suspect you're right, but how much more damage can we sustain?
Saw an article today that officials in Florida rejected a library's request for a NYT subscription because it's "fake news".
This man has almost single-handedly caused mass distrust in our media, even the most revered institutions.
7
Trump is obviously looking for another FBI Director. Maybe Rudy Giuliani or Donald Trump Jr. How about Jared Kushner? He seems to be able to handle anything Trump throws at him. Matt Gaetz? John Ratcliffe? Gotta be a stooge somewhere who will do what the Boss wants, no questions/thinking asked.
11
Amazing to me that Barr and Durham do not understand that they are becoming part of Putin's playbook.
12
Only one question remains:
Will Trump and Barr replace Wray with Rudy Giuliani, Viktor Shokin, or Yuriy Lutsenko?
9
@Maurice Wolfthal I read that Rudy is available after being released by a circus in Ukraine according to the “New Yorker”.
@Maurice Wolfthal I read that Rudy is available after being released by a circus in Ukraine according to the “New Yorker”.
Barr is dangerous.
15
When will William Barr's name become William Disbarr?
11
Barr is Trump’s personal attorney and lackey. John Mitchell redux.
9
Didn’t John Mitchell go to prison? 19 months I believe.
So much for "10-year term limit devised specifically to prevent political interference." What's the point if POTUS can fire the FBI director on a whim? There oughta be a law ...
10
@Alan: Not that this is what I believe about Trump, but a President should be able to get rid of a FBI director that's not working in the best interests of the country, even if his term isn't finished.
1
@retnavybrat True. However a Trump fired Comey due to his failure to pledge loyalty to the grifter Trump and do as he asked-protect his toadies, not for actions that were not in the interests of the country.
1
Donald Trump's ego identifies his own interest as equivalent to the national interest and his royalist supporters want just such a fusion with the office of the presidency. This is a severe threat to the rule of law and those who understand and support our Constitution must act to prevent this maniac from consolidating his grip on our government. Failing to do so may leave our democracy mortally wounded, empty window dressing for tyranny.
7
Our President seems to only believe in himself and foreign leaders, Putin and the Saudi Prince. Since our President has said himself that he can't commit a crime, why doesn't he take over the agencies himself and arrest or fire everyone who he disagrees with. He has the ultimate power, just use it if you are so sure of yourself.
5
It boggles the mind as to how anyone can support the rube of a president that currently presides over the USA. Anything negative against his views is a lie or a sham. It is endless.
And it is a sad time for our country...
5
Sliding toward impeachment and the opening of his tax records, Trump is a desperate man who didn't want to be president (He told his campaign staff that the campaign was about lifting the visibility of his brand.)
He really doesn't hate hispanics. The border wall campaign issue was devised by Nunberg and Stone to lift lagging poll numbers. It worked and he now hopes it will stave off the hounds of justice.
He knows he is trapped and surrounds himself with people he hopes will save his skin. He panders to anyone who can get him a vote, smears opponents and weeds out anyone with a shred of conscience. He is ready to take down anyone who threatens to tell the truth about his Russian connections and his conduct of what he calls business.
He is a dangerous man cornered in his den.
8
@rl It isn't about lifting his brand anymore. If anything, this failed experiment has made it so few would touch his brand with a ten-foot pole.
Now it's about ego.
3
I think Barr’s physical appearance- the patrician bow or club tie, the tortoise shell eye glasses, the benign facial expressions, and his calm, slow speech help create an image of a responsible, thoughtful, honest man of the law. He kind of resembles the ‘good republicans’ from the ’50’s- before the party was hijacked by the religious right and the crazies. In fact, it’s looking more and more like he is just the opposite. He’s nothing more than an educated, delusional toady, enthralled by this crazy POTUS. He’s not benign. He’s dangerous.
8
Very much like Dick Cheney.
1
William Barr is an unmitigated disgrace to this country, the embodiment of corruption. As long as Barr is attorney general, we cannot credibly preach to other countries to root out their own corruption. I wish someone would submit an attorney disciplinary complaint against him to the relevant authority.
9
"promulgate the inaccurate narrative" ... It's usually better to be plain and straightforward instead of highfalutin (highbrow, pretentious). Just say it: push the false story!
3
I’m ready for an independent counsel investigation into AG Barr, and his totally crooked, non-independent Trump Stooge-stance.
Who would have ever thought that I would miss Jeff Sessions or that he would come out of this looking, gasp!, professional?!!
That’s the tell on this crazy world we are in now.
10
REALITY the IG could not connect the dots without subpoena power so the FBI Director statement is merely an opinion to protect the FBI i.e. the AG prosecutor will connect the dots
At the root of most of this Trumpian nightmare is his sick ego that cannot rest until the fact that the Russians helped him win the election is erased from history..
Power is his sedative for his hollow ego and since there are others who bask in sharing that power a dictatorship is forming
as we watch...
4
So in this next soon to be opened chapter of Dante's Inferno, does Trump have the guts, and the abject stupidity, to fire yet another director of the FBI over what is essentially, Russia?? Nixon fired his special prosecutor over forty five years ago and has been vilified for it ever since. Trump will be mining brand new territory deeper underground if he goes after Christopher Wray, for basically telling the truth. Does Trump even know who Archibald Cox is? Maybe Barr should remind him, as any Soviet apparatchik would.
2
We are living the American nightmare. And so many people only see a decent. temporary economy. If they only knew how devastating Trump's and Moscow Mitche's policies have been for the America, they would not believe it.
6
There is little doubt left in this readers mind that Trump, Barr, and the GOPat large are in the process of creating an authoritarian state here in America as the majority of Americans stand by and do nothing.
One could only imagine what would occur in a Western European country if the actions of Trump and Barr and others within the GOP were taking place there. I could only imagine the protests that would be taking place.
Here in America barely a peep out of anyone including progressives. Whining is insufficient. It's time to take to the streets! The Democratic leadership needs to take charge before the whole store is stolen.
6
I respectfully but somewhat hesitantly disagree. Until The Law has truly run its course, especially as the House has not yet branded Trump forever as *Impeached*, it would not be American to resort to lawlessness and attendant violence. Let us first put that indelible stain on him for the world and all in the future to see.
As a Canadian, sad to see our neighbor and friend descends into authoritarianism. Where are the mass protests? The strikes? The civil disobedience? Or are everyone so enamored of their nice paychecks that nothing else matters any more?
7
He is going to avoid a guilty verdict in the senate because he has the republican party in on the grift, so he owns the Senate. He has a conservative majority in SCOTUS, so he may own them? Barr can’t be fired, so he owns the justice department. He is relentless in his berating of the opposition political party and the press. His propaganda network is synched to his and republican talking points. He has a line of people who believe the propaganda waiting in the rain for his rally tonight in Pennsylvania (a state he needs badly in 2020). If you look around it appears he has the makings of a strong campaign and powerful arms of government behind him. Be afraid be very afraid.
2
I think Mr. Durham is signaling his interest in wresting Wray from the FBI's directorship. I find it really odd that Mr. Durham is committing the same supposed sin that Mr. Comey committed by commenting on an ongoing investigation, yet it is OK for Mr. Durham, but not OK for Mr. Comey. We seem to be creating a two-tiered adjudication system - one for Trump supporters, one for the "disloyal".
4
Obstruction and Abuse of Power is now the governing philosophy of the entire Trump Administration and the Republican Party. Impeachment needs to include all who continue to collude in the high crimes and misdemeanors of this Administration. Start naming names and the corruptive actions they do daily.
3
I guess we all had better start watching what we write. If Trump gets his way, all of us who have publicly spoken out against him will be on a list. And Trump is a very vindictive man.
The American justice system is under lethal attack. We should not be complacent that it will be there if we need it. Once the Constitution is in tatters, the rights we thought we had will go with it.
4
READ THE REPORT: May, 2017 the FBI knew, -unequivocally knew, -the Steele Dossier (the ONLY evidence of any collusion) was pure fabrication based on admitted "rumours". "gossip" and suspicion. They used it thereafter to defraud the FISA court when the warrant to spy on Trump was issued and the many years it was renewed thereafter. Bottom line: Comey et al. knew it. They knew it and knew nobody would be held accountable for this illegal and unethical and indeed treasonous and subversive conduct under a Clinton Administration.
1
@neocynic - so comey announced an investigation into Hillary a few days before the election. I see the logic.
Democrats are expected to roll over and put up with Trump.
Ask yourself: did the Republicans roll over for Obama? Hint: Benghazi, anyone? We endured hearings on a single event for years. Trump does more damage in 48 hours.
Vote in 2020. Don't vote for a third party candidate* as a protest. Vote as though the country depended on it.
*Sorry, third party candidates. But we learned our lesson with Ralph Nader in 2000.
9
The time for Trump to go, along with those enabling his rampant corruption, abuse of power and essentially ignoring the Constitution has long exceeded the expiration date. Make America respectable again.
7
Organize, register voters, get out the vote, and finally, after everything else, vote as though your nation depended on it. Brave men and women died for our freedoms, so we can spend a few hours of our own time to making sure they did not die in vain. Every generation is asked to step up for its country at some point. In 2020 it is OUR turn to be Patriots.
7
In Trumps world unless yo are like Barr a partisan hack , you are of no use to him.
When are the Republican congressional delegation going to get a backbone and stand up for good public servants like Director Wray .
More pointedly why do the electorate who support Republicans think that this is all OK .
Director Wray as far as i am aware is a Republican but can still manage to put his country before his politics.
There have to be 20 Republican Senators who can do the same. I know for a fact at one time in the not too distant past that was the case.
4
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being "dictatorship," I figure we're at about a 6; the President has managed to effectively install his own AG and brainwash an entire legislative branch of government, our checks and balances are under severe assault, the judiciary are being infused with Trump acolytes and nearly half the country is drinking the kool-aid. So why *should* our Democracy automatically prevail?
6
@Ronsword
Every president installs their own AG.
Remember Eric Holder, "I’m still the President’s wing-man, so I’m there with my boy."
Holder defied a Congressional subpoena. I don't remember the Democrats complaining about that...
1
@Ian Cherry picking history I suspect.
I must ask, did Holder act contrary to his oath in his term as AG, was Holder instrumental in the bleating the FBI is a troubled organization and did Holder withhold a report and issue a fairy tale to protect the president?
Unfortunately Trump and Barr have turned governing into a Mafia like operation. Wray, while a Republican, at least leads his agency in a way that is attempting to continue its long standing history of excellence.
8
What an embarrassment we are. The president criticizing our elite law enforcement in front of the entire world. And not one Republican defending Wray. My god, will no one in that party stand up for principle?
8
Barr and Trump kept threatening to charge Andrew McCabe (former FBI head, between Comey and Wray), with some sort of crime. But, that has not happened.
Hopefully the FBI is walled off from Trump's attempt to corrupt them. I hope the FBI is right now investigating Rudy and Trump's schemes to rope the Ukrainians into their election interference.
It is sickening that we have to live in this Orwellian America.
8
America , have you had enough of the Trump-Kushner crime family and their abettors yet ? The rational world has.
Putin`s gang are rational but as crooked as Trump so they doesn`t count. Since (for Trump) it was Ukraine that helped HRC in the 2016 election , ie. not Russia , Trump can cancel the US sanctions on Russia which he has been trying to do for 3 yrs. We need his taxes to show why.
America , you are better than this ………….. aren`t you ??
19
"Standing in disagreement with the president and the attorney general, Mr. Wray will now have to decide how to lead the agency while his bosses promulgate the inaccurate narrative that the F.B.I. plotted to sabotage Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016."
Who's to say it's an inaccurate narrative? Just report the news please. No wonder half the country doesn't trust your reporting anymore. I won't bother to read any more of your articles with Trump in the title.
5
The newly released AG report says Trump and Barr are inaccurate. Feelings are not facts.
7
Scaredstiff the report itself says Barr and Trump are wrong.
5
Sounds like a plan!
2
Maybe Giuliani would be a good pick since he is an always Trumper. Then we can just do more corruption and crime in public and twist the nation into an intellectual knot to justify whatever we want.
13
@MC
At the very least a Giuliani confirmation hearing in the Senate would be a comedic bonanza. I don't want to contemplate the very worst.
3
Trump and Barr won’t stop replacing people until every shirt is brown.
73
So, Trump's looking for a Himmler or Goering to head his FBI. Got it. This is escalating terribly quickly. From Putin to Trump, with Comey foolishly piping up at the worst possible moment, handing an undeserved election win to Trump. The GOP is fully complicit in this coup, and Barr is going to goose-step the country to fascism. If only this were hyperbole, but it's so not.
Years ago, I used to say that American fascism was only missing its Leader. Who would have guessed it would be Trump?
52
It won’t be long before Christopher Wray is history. Probably replaced by another sycophant, most likely by Barr’s Justice Department lawyer from Connecticut presently searching for material implicating the Bidens.
21
Mr. Wray's 'firing', if it happens, should be worn as a badge of honor.
Mr. Wray was the defense lawyer for Chris Christie during the George Washington Bridge scandal. He no doubt came to his current job based on recommendations from Christie to Trump. Mr. Wray had some bad karma coming his way defending the lying, guilty Mr. Christie and now he appears to be walking through it.
It's important to see Mr. Wray standing firm and defending the F.B.I. and not bending to the lies and insidiousness of the Trump/Barr crime family.
24
"While there was little expectation that the inspector general’s conclusions would settle the partisan debate over the legitimacy of the Russia inquiry, "
Sorry, NYT, there is no "partisan debate." On one side are the Mueller and the I.G. reports; on the other side is a criminal president and his mobster toadies intent on protecting their self-interest no matter what the costs to the country and the world at large.
Why, oh why, NYT, do you continue to insist those who cite facts and those who lie and gaslight are engaging in a "debate"? What Trump and the Republicans are doing is not "partisan"; it is immoral and illegal.
83
@surlawda Agreed. The NYTimes long ago stopped giving credence to climate science-deniers. They should do the same with evidence-deniers.
4
@surlawda
It also sows chaos and undermines the rule of law. The only thing left will be might makes right if they continue to fail to call a lie a lie.
2
Translation: I have no confidence in anyone who won't lie for me.
35
So tough finding good, crooked. help.
25
Well I see why Republicans are all in favor of fracking, without it there wouldn’t be enough fuel for all this gaslighting.
18
I am sick of this administration trying to politicize the FBI.
23
I used to think of Attorney General Barr as Trump's lap dog. But dogs are vertebrates: Barr is more like a pet slug.
33
No he’s not, he didn’t go to UCSC for sure... /sarcasm, FYI
1
“Investigate the investigators”!
“Investigate the investigators who investigated the investigators”!
Oh, never mind. It was all just a distracting fan dance and a delay tactic anyhow. The clock is running out; and we’ve got our own ‘alternate facts.’ We don’t need no stinkin’ facts and we don’t need no stinkin’ “investigators.”
10
The Big Lie is the traitor's only tool in his ongoing battle against truth, justice, and the American way.
He took over $400 million from his dad, lost most of that, and then mysteriously rebounded with a massive cash infusion from, to quote Eric, "russia". He's a crook who cannot tell the truth, nor even recognize it.
He must be removed from office.
15
Anybody care to vote on which of these old standbys best captures the dire straits this country is in today? Just hit reply and name your choice . . .
No. 1 – “Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty”. Thomas Jefferson
No. 2 - “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
No. 3 - The blind men shout "let the creatures out
We'll show the unbelievers" Iron Maiden “2 Minutes to Midnight.”
No. 4 – All of the Above. [Some of these are variously misattributed]
3
No doubt Trump took his famous black sharpie (the same one he used on the weather map) to adjust the report to his liking.
5
I hope the FBI discovers a good reason to get Barr's telephone and web records.
That man is the embodiment of gross abuse in his exalted legal position and needs to be impeached as well.
29
Dear trump: If you fire Wray, the negative impact on you will be ten times greater than it was for firing Comey.
18
Trump want to be King. He wants to rule by decree. He wants a personal loyalty oath. He wants the principle "Semper Est Recta Regem" (The King Is Always Right) enshrined into law.
The election of 2020 will determine if we remain a democracy or descend to the demands of a despot.
16
Trump is painfully transparent. Self serving like no other, he cannot stop engorging himself. Hoisted on his own petard for the world to observe, what him worry?
8
Watch out Chris, you're next. PS Be sure to check your twitter account frequently, and get your resume together!
2
“Current FBI Director Wray” better look for a tweet firing him Christmas Eve, so Trump can have a touch of revenge. Then he’ll get another Barr/Giuliani clone in there to “straighten the FBI out”. It just won’t do to have objective, rational thought in the Department of Justice. God bless America. Really. We could really use some divine intervention.
11
Trump and Barr - and Pompeo isn’t far behind - all making Vladimir Putin feel happy these days. Their collective willingness to throw the IC and law enforcement communities under the bus, all to adhere to a Russian disinformation narrative, is unprecedented - especially as Pompeo was CIA Director ( and knows the truth) and Barr is contradicting and undermining the FBI.
Let us be clear - never in our nation’s history have we had a mendacious grifter as a president, enabled by his spineless political party along with Cabinet appointees actively forsaking their oaths of office.
So, yes, Vladimir, you apparently did your work well as your asset in the WH has plenty of help in corrupting our democracy.
19
"Another one bites the dust..."
Wray will be the next one thrown under the bus, it seems.
5
Barr deserves to be impeached and disbarred. His conduct is beyond shameful. He and Trump and their supporters are un-American in their words and deeds.
27
The problem is that americans do not know what an absence of democracy will mean. Until then, the party of trump, formerly the GOP, will continue down this road toward fascism.
12
I believe in Truth, Justice and the American Way. I believe in the Constitution.
What does Donald Trump believe in? Himself.
What does his MAGA cult believe in? Donald Trump.
I hope we can turn this criminal enterprise around and save our beautiful country.
15
Let's see what Durham comes up with. There does seem to be reason to at least suspect a confident, well-organized Deep
State presence in all of this. I think there is much more to come, with connection to the overthrow of a democratically elected President from East Ukraine in Kiev, February, 2014.
Go online and read Guardian dispatches Feb. 20 and 21. Read on to see how the East Ukraine population was treated by the paramilitary putschists.
3
since sending a letter of bias in favor of the president and of questionable merit to the president and then becoming the attorney general as a result of that letter, in many ways, barr has become the attorney general not of the federal government, as is his job, but of trump's court. barr has apparently bowed to the loyalty to trump that the preceding attorney general refused to do. barr is a disgrace to his office and will be remembered in history as one of the most horrible attorney generals ever.
9
Fire him.
Try someone else, if he/she can't handle the job...fire him/her too.
Repeat as necessary.
3
Hats off to Mr. Wray, with the courage to stick to the truth in spite of the cowardly suggestion he may lose his job...as per criminally-minded Trump and his personal attorney, AG Barr. Have you ever seen such an injustice...from the Department of Justice?
10
I think Trump read the Cliff Notes of the report written for him by Barr just like his release of the Mueller report..
7
DJT should go ahead & fire Wray.
After all, it worked out "perfectly" the last time.
3
Undoubtedly, with all his experience and expertise in rooting out corruption in the Ukraine, Trump will make Rudy the new FBI director.
Trump is like a dog chasing a car .... now that he's caught it (White House), he doesn't have a clue what to do with it.
4
At this point, the FBI is in pretty much the same position as the Ukranian government: trying desperately not to take sides in a bitter partisan death match between the President and his opponents.
6
He is his own propaganda minister ! And twitter gave him the power to do so.
5
This is truly terrifying. Media needs to ask Barr more pointed questions. Someone responsible and very powerful needs to shine a bright light on this rogue AG.
11
AG Barr is one of the most duplicitous and dishonest law enforcement leaders in recent history. I listened to his interview on MSNBC and was staggered by his twisting of facts, innuendo of dishonesty in the IG investigation, and his complete lack of propriety in terms of talking about the other ongoing (but unnecessary and politically motivated) investigation. If the POTUS were not such a disaster, Barr should be impeach for his reckless disregard for his role as lawyer for the people. History will not, and should not treat him, kindly.
20
Trump says he doesn't know if the FBI director was reading the same report as he was.
I ask, are the Republicans looking at the same president we all see.
11
“ 'I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me,' Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter" For once, he's probably telling the truth. No Trump aide would hand him a 434 page report, probably just a half page summary written with a bold Sharpie, showing a few cherry picked negative items about the FBI: "Trump selectively highlighted findings from the inspector general’s report by quoting Fox News commentators ... "
10
Fight the Republicans! Give money to any non-republican candidates in swing states. It's the only way to stop them. Take back the Senate...take back control. FIGHT as if our country depends upon it...because it does.
9
Chris Wray, you are an honorable man, and a patriot, who, unlike your predecessor, prefers to operate under the radar screen. But none of that really makes a difference. Unless you actively support every twisted narrative put forward by Trump, and now his number one enabler, Attorney General Barr , you are basically “toast”. So preserve your honor and dignity by resigning ASAP, rather than waiting to be fired. Too many honorable people have stuck around in the hope they could at least partially control Trump’s worst instincts, only to find they couldn’t. So most of what’s left are the sycophants. Don’t let that be your legacy.
2
Barr is himself not showing due respect for law enforcement professionals -- at the highest level.
6
When Trump says a guy can't "fix" something, you really have to wonder now in what sense he means it.
7
What hypocrisy. Trump cheered on the FBI when it publicly investigated Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign, yet he condemns the same FBI for investigating Russian contacts with his campaign, even though the FBI took care to keep that investigation secret. Instead of condemning the FBI, he should be thanking them for protecting his campaign until after the election.
7
Unfortunate. Very soon, this United States will become a Facist or autocratic regime under Trump and his cronies. And we wonder why impeachment has come so swiftly and quickly? It is absolutely necessary. Do all of you have any idea what it is like to live and attempt to survive under any type of authoritarian regime? Say goodbye to every one of your 2nd amendment rights; and say goodbye to our Constitution. Under this administration, especially today, we are all in danger of losing our republic.
4
Only in Deep State Bizarro world can Wray, Comey and McCabe take some sort of weird victory lap for this horrendous IG report.
The FBI completely mishandled arguably the most important cases they've ever had: The Clinton email/corruption scandal, the Russian collusion case (and I'll throw in the Epstein case for good measure).
They let Clinton get away with her crimes so she could win; and they framed Trump just in case she lost (and she did). The upper ranks political appointments must all face the music via federal criminal charges, or this will happen again. echelon must all go
2
Everyone was fooled again by Trump. You allowed yourselves to be drawn into a controversy obviously designed to allow Russia to win not only the election for Trump, but the fight against our intelligence community. Just think about the fact that Russia attacked our nation in the most frightening way and you all are now fighting the very people who are responsible for protecting us from foreign spies. What don't you understand about this saga? Russia attacked us and you're helping them, misled by Trump who must relish the confusion he has unleashed as written of here.
Although I have a deep resentment for the lack of help I asked for from the FBI when I needed it, I can still defend them as needing latitude to protect us. I don't care if there was "enough" predication. I only care that this time, they saw a problem and investigated it. For all of you so confident in your righteousness, go sit on the beach with your weapons and protect us, otherwise, give deference to those trained to.
3
FBI Director Christopher Wray met with tribal officials of the largest Indian reservation in the U.S. in March of 2018 at Window Rock, becoming the first head of the federal law enforcement agency to visit the Navajo Nation. The first to meet with the leaders of the Navajo nation which covers more mileage than 10 of the smaller states. A small item to note, but important to those of us in the West. And now, Trump in his "madness" to avenge the truth will probably fire him.....as he has done to others who have stood up for the rule of law. As for Barr, Mr. Low Life, I think he has beaten Trump to the bottom of the septic tank that now exists around the president. The GOP should start to worry....many of the "gun rights" people around here are having a change of thought about voting for Trump again. Republican beware!
8
Before the day is out, Trump's official propaganda outlet, Fox "News", will be broadcasting this garbage to their dimwitted viewers. They will almost certainly succeed in their mission of keeping Trump's cultists on board the sinking ship that is today's Republican party -- but a solid majority of the electorate knows the truth.
The GOP is deluded if they think that Trump won't get worse as time goes on. The elections of 2016 and 2018 were just the initial tremors of what 2020 has in store for them.
5
These sorts of comments from Barr, like “flimsy," “gross abuses” and “inexplicable behavior that is intolerable in the F.B.I.” point to the fact that the AG is going to muzzle the FBI and national security apparatus going into the next election. They are going to raise the threshold for starting new investigations (just like they excused criminality and attempted to block release of the Ukraine Whistleblower complaint). We are in for far, far worse going forward --- Trump without limits to his criminality, corruption, or incompetence.
8
Are we surprised at Barr? He's even more dangerous than the President.
And word is that he's gunning for a Supreme Court seat. God help us if that ever happens.
7
When will anyone hold Attorney General William Barr accountable for his disregard for the rule of law and US Constitution?
6
"During his first two years in office, Mr. Trump attacked the bureau, the Justice Department and intelligence agencies 277 times."
This alone should've alerted the ostriches in red states - he's NO ONE's "friend" or "hero"... he mocks process and smart, capable people trying to do the best for ALL.
Still bewildered at the level of "likes" he gets to his insane/infantile/profane/attacking Twitter posts. Really, there are that many thoroughly dead or evil souls???
3
Guess who has lost confidence in Mr. Barr and the Donald?
3
We are down to just two chances to stop our national death spiral. Twenty Senators can do it now. The 2020 election may be able to do it later. The first is a long shot. The second is, for several unsettling reasons, far from a sure thing. It is almost surreal that we have arrived at this point.
9
It is a tradition in the FBI that the Director always seeks to preserve the reputation of the organization.
But sometimes, as in this case, it richly deserves a diminshed reputation.
Wray has soft-peddled his respsonse and his proposals for remedy add up to little more than: Let's try to behave ourselves.
The IG made it clear that big issues exist, largely driven by incredibly poor judgement at the top of the Bureau.
Wray can take this in stride and move one. The question is, are mechanism going to be put in place to trap and stop any further abuses like those documented by the IG.
2
Attorney General Barr appears to be directly implicated via the phone calls and presented testimony during the House investigations. Why is he still in a position of authority? His actions appear to go against evidence that has been presented and corroborated by multiple witnesses. This seems to make him part of the effort to subvert our Constitution.
He challenges, without evidence, reports by professionals, and continues to chase false narratives designed to justify and confuse the population. He gave a speech that was jaw-dropping in its content at the University of Notre Dame back in October. I see that he is being marginalized, but he needs to be removed from office and charged at least with aiding and abetting those who have undermined our country. I can only trust that at some not-to-distant time, Mr. Barr meets the full impact of US laws and receives the appropriate term.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party is complicit. They are responsible for allowing Trump’s actions and those of foreign nationals in their efforts to subvert our elections and foreign policy to the benefit our of enemies (Russia). The Republican Party as a whole has allowed Russia to punch well above their weight class and cause problems that should have been easily parried by competent individuals. Their actions, which will only get worse as many know there is no turning back, are beyond rational comprehension, but must be exposed.
5
William Barr is just a partisan political hack who has undermined the reputation of the Department of Justice, which is supposed to be independent. He wants to keep investigating until a report produces results in line with his personal preconceptions. Any further investigation would be a political exercise and should be paid for by Republicans. And hooray for Wray for demonstrating independence from the president, which is as it should be.
3
Agents were not right to open the investigation. Every one of their suspicions was wrong. The FBI was wrong every step of the way.
It astonishing how wrong they were.
At best, they met the minimal standard for opening an investigation.
2
@Bob K.
That’s not at all what the report found!
3
The last piece of advice that ex-Chief of Staff John Kelly gave to Trump was to not surround himself with "yes men and women". Christopher Wray was one of the few that was left that would speak truth to power, so it was pretty obvious that his days were numbered.
As Trump's inner circle becomes exclusively sycophantic, his behavior becomes more deranged. The Framers anticipated this when they wrote the Constitution. Unfortunately, they didn't anticipate the rise of political parties. With Mitch McConnell and the Republicans in control of the Senate, Congressional oversight is impossible.
5
Are we so short sighted these days to not realize the FBI has had problems going back to J.Edgar Hoover in charge? Yes,they can do amazing technological work on physical evidence but that same FBI blew the intelligence in 2001 that in not sharing all with the CIA could have thwarted the Sept.11 attack.To this day,the FBI hides its records from then and is still in court proceedings over connecting Saudi officials to the hijackers training,etc. So,no big surprise that another report finds mistakes made but not the big ones.Yes,the current Director may have to exit but the FBI has some long standing taint and a TV series on CBS is not the solution....
3
When the Senate trial for impeachment begins, Senate Republicans will have a choice -- our Constitution, and Democracy as we know it, or the incremental slide into propping up a President who want the powers of a dictator or monarch.
I think we all know the answer for what they will do with that choice. I hope voters in future elections remember, and remove them from office, along with condemnation by historians.
4
the bottom line is that Trump has tried as best he can to disrupt our democracy but in the end the people have faith in their agencies (FBI, etc.) and their bureaucracies and for that we have our parents and grandparents to thank.
Trump was the test we passed it... now its time to move on vote for somebody else in 2020.
1
Mr. Barr’s comments today, February 10, now confirm he is not an independent AG but a Trump stooge. Given his position at the head of Justice, and on the same day that Articles of Impeachment are published, the nation finds itself at the most critical juncture to date in this presidency. The choices of key individuals, most obviously Republican senators, will check or advance this systemic grab for autocratic powers in defiance of the rule of law. As to the senators, history will judge them as part of the coup, as simple compliant stooges, or possibly as patriots. We are nearing the eleventh hour.
5
Thank you Mr. Wray for telling the American people the truth. Truth matters!
4
It's the "Wray of truth" or "the way of Trump," and the consequences for the nation's major agency charged with enforcing the Constitution's "rule of law" are again under attack from those who would force it to obey the "rule of Trump." If this latest attack aimed at subverting the F.B.I. doesn't make everyone realize the need to impeach Trump, then we're all in jeopardy of losing all legal protections granted by the Bill of Rights.
3
Again, more scary than Trump with no checks, is the portion of american citizens who still support him. If half of us equals a majority of the electoral college, and less than half of us elects a majority of the Senate, why would anything be different?
The republicans are sticking with Trump because he is allowing them what they have always wanted...federal judges, supreme court justices, conservative christianity as the official religion and industries running their regulators.
We have seen the enemy and it is us!
3
Donald Trump doesn't ever want to pay the piper, ever. If the Senate gives him what he wants we will be compromised as a nation. Of course, I expect the GOP to keep defending the indefensible.
3
So no "Deep State" or anti-Trump plots, I guess the US Senate will have to concentrate on the overwhelming evidence presented by real patriotic Americans. Save our Democracy and remove him.
3
So if Barr has his way, will the guilty pleas and verdicts that stemmed from the Mueller investigation be overturned? I'm sure that Trump won't be happy with anything less than prosecution and show trials for certain individuals. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Barr makes it happen.
2
That’s what dictators and authoritarians do they do not believe in the truth unless it’s their own version of make belief concocted story. Trump is on the path to becoming an authoritarian ruler and Barr is his full time enabler.
4
The first termination of the year! He looks like he could care less. Good to see that some Americans are still willing to quit or be fired rather than support Trump. The Republican cancer aside, as they are only too willing to fire career diplomats and so on such as the American Ambassador to England, I can only say "well done" to Mr. Wray.
2
How terrifying that the FBI, our independent law enforcement agency, appears to be on its way to becoming politicized. Imagine living in a country in which the president can make his political enemies suffer, languish in jail, or disappear. It happens in the countries ruled by the strongmen whom Trump admires. Your vote will never count more than in 2020. Vote a straight Democratic ticket to reject Trump’s banana republic dictatorship politics and the enablers who are violating their oaths of office by ignoring his corruption and disdain for the rule of law.
2
Barr's behavior is really becoming a concern. He is in the same pocket that trump is in. Why can't the GOP see the threat?
3
Independence and non partisanship in our intelligence agencies is not acceptable to Trump. He demands fealty and loyalty to himself first. It is to be expected that he would reject the DOJ report since it doesn't fit his warped narrative. It is expected he would attack the FBI director who did not capitulate. This is the third time. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me, Fool me 3 times and I am a fool. Unfortunately real news coverage never reaches the Trump supporters so they keep getting fooled over and over again.
32
Very well said.
2
Forty corrective tasks indicates a pretty sloppy house at the FBI, either that or some pretty sly agents who knew how to cover their political biases using mangled bureaucratic red tape. Give the deep state credit for not being careless fools.
5
@John Doe So mistakes automatically equate to political bias? Does that mean the FBI agents who sent messages discussing their support of Trump and wanted investigations of Clinton (you know, like Stzrok and Page) made mistakes to cover their bias as well? Who knew there were Trump supporters in the Deep State!
2
@John Doe I no longer know who the "deep state" is. Career employees who adhere to their oaths of office? Or employees who are doing Russia's bidding? Hard to tell anymore, isn't it?
3
Dear John,
How I hate to write, but I think that your interpretation occurs in reverse. Yes there is a military-industrial deep state, but that is hardly new thinking? If there is such a state is that between Trump, Putin and Murdock! And who would have thought.
3
Why do we even bother with these investigations and wasting tax payer money when Trump and Barr have decided they outcome that that want. They live in an alternate reality and that is not good for any of us. We need to draw a line under this administration before it ends our democracy.
Vote Democrat at every opportunity !! End the cancer that is growing in the country.
44
Lashing out is the only thing this accidental, so-called president knows how to do.
14
Blame the messenger.
7
A conspiracy is six people hatching a plan. Quite amazing that there appear to be hundreds of people who manage to run the deep state but none of them have been identified, never mind charged w a crime.
7
@Angelica Explain what the hundreds of people who run the deep state have done. Perhaps you agree with my sis-in-law that the deep state committed the OKC bombing and not Timothy McVeigh.
1
In devastated Puerto Rico, Mr. Trump handed out paper towels. The Alabama weather guys changed their weather forecast to avoid displeasing Mr. Trump. AG Bahr, an intelligent man, has turned himself into a doormat. The WashPost says Mr. Trump has made 13,435 false and misleading statements: He still has until January 2021 to add to his record. Congress just got the impeachment ball rolling.
Yesterday, it was Comey and McCabe. Today its Wray. Horowitz seemed to have tried real hard to find something, but in the end found only that someone at the FBI, in the haste of the moment, forgot to cross their t's. Gee Wiz. It is unlikely that John Durham will deliver what Mr. Trump is looking for because honest people don't make stuff up.
I wonder what it will take for people to say Enough Already, Mr. President!
19
@Yahoo - Honest people don’t make stuff up. But dishonest people, on the other hand...
4
@Yahoo
Given Durham's comments yesterday undermining Horowitz and commenting inappropriately on an on-going investigation I would not bet on Durham not making stuff up. Anyone who Barr hand-picked is likely a fellow traveler in Opus Dei, they had the secret handshake and the findings of the "Durham report" were pre-determined.
4
@Yahoo Apparently, his last breath. May it come soon!
2
Trump should appoint Barr to run Justice, the FBI and be Trump’s personal attorney (on the taxpayer’s payroll), or, appoint Rudy as he grovels at the feet of Trump with the same fervor as Barr.
Then the FBI will be cleansed of the demons of the “deep state”.
Trump is becoming more unhinged on a daily basis and the GOP still worship him as a deity.
11
It's time someone reminded Barr that he works for the American people, not simply the President .... and of course the President will throw the FBI Director under the bus as it is his only means of shoring up his belief in himself as a God
12
The Ultimate Do-Nothing President.
If he just admitted he did something he did not know was an issue, played up his "I'm a Deal Maker schtick and schlock message, and unilaterally moved on the Democrats would be left scrambling for cover.l
2
One more investigative report casting shadows on the President and his sycophants and one more institution (The Justice Department IG) being thrown under the bus because it doesn't agree with the Supreme Leader. Every minute that Trump is in the White House is another minute our democracy is being eaten away from the inside out like a cancer victim.
23
For a "self-made billionaire" who "alone can fix" everything, and is always 100% right about everything, Trump spends a hell of a lot of time whining and blaming others.
28
And the rest of his time golfing or watching TV.
2
And the dog bites its tail.
4
When will this corrupt, self-serving Administration be impeached?
9
This is the Presidency of "unheard off".
2
Apparently Wray is getting in the way of making the FBI "loyal". It is astonishing and horrifying to watch this country taking on the traits of fascism. Just like they warned us in hebrew school, don't think it can't happen here.
11
Impeach, Remove, Return to Russia. Trump needs to go before our nation is dissolved into chaos, ripe for Soviet picking. I detest republicans and their ignorant supporters.
11
House judiciary committee, time to start the investigation of AG Barr. The impeachment of AG is six months overdue.
26
I shook my head when I read that Donald said: "I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me."
We all know Donald doesn't care to read. Someone told hm it was a robust report that busted Putin for his attempt to help his blond buddy win the election. So he did what he does best: deny and obfuscate.
7
Just another example of Trump's unabashed demagoguery, attacking public servants who call out his lies. Unlike William Barr, Christopher Wray has integrity and puts country before selfish interests, unlike this president and his hypocritical lackeys.
How can Republicans complicitly supporting Trump's lawless actions and dumb conspiracy theories live with themselves? The answer is straightforward...Power.
9
Donald Trump, with the help of Vladimir Putin, has turned the US into a Russian satellite all because he owes the oligarchs billions in bailout.
The Republican Party (for which I've voted many times) has completely abrogated its sworn responsibility to US Constitution (protecting and defending "we the people") while turning itself into a communist dictatorship feeding Hitler-ranting propaganda to a completely-fooled and foolish citizenry.
The country is on the cusp of financial ruin (thanks to the current machinations of Steven Mnuchin) and all the President can do is waste the millions we accord him to better the country by tweeting conspiracy theories and disagreeing with the very people he places into leadership.
We are in deep deep trouble. The Republican Party (the party I knew) needs to replace this President with a more viable candidate for next year or their days sharing power will be severely limited in the coming decade.
7
A mini-me Barr is about to get hired to head the FBI.
8
Where do you find somebody who can run this outfit?
To proclaim with a straight face that the people who were designing “insurance policies” against a presidential candidate ( whatever his shortcomings and qualification or lack off may be) had no political motives is disqualifying. Trump or not, why is this agency so impossible to reform?
1
You report that the FBI director position has a 10-year term limit devised specifically to prevent political interference.
My comment is if Trump can fire Director Wray, then effectively there is no prevention of political interference.
13
@David Weinkrantz We knew that when he fired Comey.
4
When a government official or employee obeys the oath to support and protect the Constitution and to bear true and faithful allegiance to the same, it means behaving like an insubordinate employee to Trump who considers himself above all laws and oaths. Those who tried to be loyal to their oaths even though they wanted to support Trump, do not last.
3
Why does our President believe Putin over our own intelligence agencies? That's a question that needs to be asked of President Trump on live television. And whoever asks that questions needs to make sure our president doesn't give a meandering non-answer and holds our president accountable to providing a response to the question.
20
The administration has no qualms over lying about the outcome of the investigations of its own agencies.
They will have no qualms, either, about lying and fabricating conspiracy theories about the outcome of the 2020 election, should it not turn out the way they desire.
These people have shown themselves to be criminals who constantly test the waters to see what they can get away with.
Do we really think they will abdicate power in a rational, legal, or non-violent way upon losing the 2020 election?
6
I hope that in the not too distant future Doris Kearns Goodwin writes another book about a presidential administration. She can entitle it "Team of Sycophants" because that is all Trump will soon have left working for him.
By now any competent executive will recognize that working for a self-described "extremely stable genius" is a trip to nowhere that requires having an excellent attorney on stand-by.
Thanks, in advance, for your service, Chris Wray.
6
@Tom Q I remember Kearns Goodwin saying some very positive, very glib things about Trump on the Imus radio show during the repub primaries. See Robert Caro for better work on LBJ.
1
To those who say that congress should wait or do more investigations and collect evidence, I say this:
We are already late. The damage this man has done to this country will already take many decades to repair. He is trying to fill this government and it’s respected agencies with crooks, cronies and criminals - Bill Barr, mick Mulvaney, Wilbur Ross, Betsy devos, Mike Pompeo to name a few.
This cannot continue. Impeachment is just a conduit to the next most important step: indict and incarcerate- for life.
The future of our democracy, our children and our planet is hanging on a balance.
6
Trump needs to write the report himself. Two pages, max. Keep it simple: Deep state; Conspiracy; I'm the victim; and (for good measure) the call was perfect.
8
I have been reading the same comments about Trump and his regime of incompetents and criminals for the past several years. We all know this very sad story. And we also know there are possibly enough really clueless people in the US to get him re-elected. Our focus now must be solely on nominating a Democratic candidate who can win in the next election. Nothing else matters. The next 11 months can’t be business as usual if we want to save our country.
I believe we should all get behind Michael Bloomberg. He is a moderate candidate with enough money to win. He can easily handle a fool like Trump in a one on one match up. And he would likely appeal to swing voters and maybe some Republicans who are smart enough to put our country first.
Sign up to Bloomberg’s campaign site today. Plan on dedicating your time to his campaign. I really should say our campaign. We need to wake up before it is too late. It can’t be business as usual in our lives when our country is under such great threat. Vote for Michael Bloomberg. Thanks.
3
Too bad for Wray. He seems to be a good guy, and is very committed to the FBI. I would expect nothing less. But, he committed a fatal transgression with the President, by not kneeling before him in strict obeisance, even at the expense of the truth, as the other administration officials do. Once the House votes to impeach Trump, Wray will be gone in about a nanosecond.
3
At least we know we have another FBI Director who puts country before loyalty to Trump. Now, if only our AG would do the same. Our Justice Department used to be the envy of the world...now it is a joke and shame.
3
And yet, neither Trump nor Barr have any problems with opening an investigation into a Ukrainian conspiracy theory that has already been proven false.
We should know by now not to expect integrity or honesty from either of these men.
5
Um. When was Mr. Durham last actually seen?
1
For many of us, A.G. Bar has now come to epitomize "bad faith."
5
No matter what Trump says and does his base remains faithful to him. That by definition is a cult. We have cult leader in the White House.
5
Since the truth is worth it, it is important to note that the FBI lied about the Steele dossier to apply for an authorization with the FISA court. This is important for the whole Russiagate saga started with this now discredited oppo research document. So things are not as clear cut as the Times makes out. Trump is a liar so it is important to oppose him with total integrity. Not what this article does.
1
If this is the attitude of the President and his party, why even bother to have a law and pretend to follow it? They can rule by their whims. That, in effect, is called dictatorship.
4
From Director Wray's letter: "Because our credibility and brand are central to fulfilling our mission, we are also making improvements beyond those recommended by the OIG".
Over and above the 17 recommendations made by Horowitz. Wray provided an attachment to his letter to Horowitz. I'd like to know what "improvements" he's making.
Bill Barr is damaging the DOJ's credibility and brand -- and I think Horowitz should do an investigative review into Barr's unprecedented behavior.
2
How many facts will it take to get Republicans to understand that Trump is a threat to the very future of our democracy?
Putin is laughing at us.
4
@Jay Trainor That question about How many facts will it take to get Republicans to understand Trump is a danger reminds me of the joke:
Q:How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One, but the bulb has to WANT to change.
2
Trump and Barr are both a Danger to the Republic. This is the type of situation the framers of the Constitution had in mind when impeachment was written into it. It is a sad day for the US when both the President and AG attack the very foundation of our Great Country. Trump and Barr must go and go soon.
4
If the Republican Senate doesn't see what's going on here and have concerns with it, that the president is putting a Barr into the FBI, then they should all be removed, if there is a way to do that.
3
This president has demolished whatever sense of normalcy and goodness and honor we had before 2016. That his lies, perhaps mental illness, are at the very core of what we are living through has become way too difficult for me to understand, as is the knowledge he is being sheltered by the GOP has become an abomination of who we are as a people. Sadness is a daily reminder that Trump isn't going away anytime soon.
3
This behavior is generally assigned the label "spoiled little crybaby". The persistent victimhood, legitimized by an entire political party and base, is nauseating.
4
"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." — George Orwell, “1984”
6
Donald Trump is a paranoid criminal, casting blame and insult upon everyone and everything that doesn't obey him and contort themselves into mirroring his delusions and grievances.
Additionally, this is yet another horrible lesson as to why we must ensure a "businessman" is never elected to the presidency ever again.
3
trump's motto:
"If at first you don't succeed.... Lie, and then Lie AGAIN!"
2
Surely Barr can do both jobs, rights?
2
Trump lashes out. In other news, the sun rose.
5
Trump has been longing for a Roy Cohn to defend him, and in Barr he seems to have found a pretty good imitation
6
Nancy Pelosi may not hate Trump. But she’s an exception.
The President is a disgrace and Barr is an enabler.
33
Can Billy Tom Hagen-Barr do both jobs like Mulvaney?
True patriotic loyalty to the President is paramount.
Greatest economy in the history of the Galaxy.
Federalist judges aplenty.
Global warming, the Middle East, and Radical European Terrorism defeated.
Russia on the rise.
Dirtier air and water.
And the Mexican funded wall.
It's all falling into place.
Then there's the DJT Health Care plan.
This is why complete devotion to His Royal Highness is paramount.
11
If you put a Mafia Don in charge of the government, you should expect him to attack law enforcement.
That's just what they do.
39
"Russia, if you are listening....." So, this is, according to Mr. Barr, the "thinnest of suspicions?" Maybe if Trump had said, "Vlad, will you help me?," that would have been better. It's a lot like "I'd like your to do me a favor" before I sign a check for military aid. The first time, with Russia, he wiggled out of it. The second time, with Ukraine, he got himself impeached. What a guy.
19
I think most people are missing the point on this. we all know Trump doesn't read. And the people that do the ring for him I think most people are missing the point on this. We all know Trump doesn't read. And the people that do the reading for him are afraid of him losing it. So what they tell him is watered down, inaccurate, and favorable to him. We've seen this before!
5
Isn't it time for people like Wray, and others, to just come out and rebut the president's lies? All that Wray has to say is, 'The President is wrong in his view on the report. It is not subject to opinion. The FBI is not perfect, but even an extended investigation into our practices revealed no malevolent intent. To suggest otherwise is to ignore the facts and to denigrate the important role of inspectors general in our democracy.' He's going to get fired anyway. Might as well show some backbone
40
I think that's exactly what he said. Made Trump mad as heck.
4
And, so what?
One of the most dangerous things to do is idolize law enforcement.
JFK would have like to can Hoover but he couldn't because, well, he was afraid of him, to put it simply.
Does it sound right that the President should be afraid of federal law enforcement officials? Are they beyond criticism?
The fact is that they engage, sometimes to a grotesque degree, in self-dealing. Just like everyone else in Washington, DC.
2
So none of the ten instances of obstruction that Mueller detailed will be used ? None ?
8
Three is a charm. I think we need just one more re-investigation of the investigators.
4
What will be the tipping point for the citizens of this country to take to the streets in DC and demand the Congress be accountable to us and not their cult leader? If and when people finally take to the street to protest, it may be too late as the cult leader will have taken control of the military and it will be like Tiananmen Square in Beijing, us vs the tanks, water cannons, and live bullets.
I fear we are not that far away from this scenario.
11
Looks like Trump has appointed another dud FBI director, even after extreme vetting. Maybe it is time for Trump to appoint a towering legal figure who is widely admired and respected, to be the new FBI director.
Surely Trump should now appoint Giuliani as the new FBI boss, to show how much he respects the position of running the FBI
5
"Mr. Trump has given Mr. Barr broad access to a range of sensitive materials, some of which were not part of Mr. Horowitz’s review." Do we believe that Trump has read the IG's report--any of it? He's waiting for his own report, the one based on alternative facts supplied by himself. What kind of "justice" is this? What kind of Attorney General would participate in such a travesty?
8
Stephen Miller will be the next head of the FBI? I mean, why not? Trump has been testing the boundaries for 4 years now, and the only boundaries left to him are what Fox news allows.
11
@mcomfort Why not Jared for the FBI, he finished all his prior tasks and isn't busy.
4
@jim Isn't he single-handedly building the wall?
3
The IG's report mentioned that some in the FBI cheered Trump's election, sheerly out of dislike of Hillary Clinton. As Trump and Barr work to destroy the FBI, I hope those people acknowledge their mistake.
7
I have not read the report, but my guess is that most in the FBI, which is a conservative organization, voted for Trump.
What if Obama had attacked the FBI's leadership, or the leadership of our intelligence services; or had talked about a "deep state" in opposition to his presidency; or had reversed military-justice decisions by the military leadership; or had said that America has taken the same actions as some of the worse countries on the planet; or had been so critical of our allies that they no longer trust us; or had been laughed at by the leaders of our closest allies; or had had a number of administration figures and his personal lawyer and his campaign chairman been convicted of felonies; or had conducted a foreign policy seemingly drafted by Russia.
Now he did apparently remove his suit coat in the Oval Office and sat with his shoes on a desk. But had he done any of the things listed above, Fox News would have imploded.
2
Isn’t today the day that Trump meets with the Russian foreign minister at the White House without the press in attendance?
It was announced by the Russian press, not the White House.
12
Don’t you love trump’s tweet. It wasn’t long ago when he slapped an agency in the face, it was inclusive of all employees. Well, he saw where that got him. Now, when he stabs an agency in the back, like the FBI, he’s learned not to include the entire flock.
He’s a genius amongst first graders.
5
Given that Jared doesn't have much on his plate currently, I think he could bring his expertise, his sense of justice and his devotion to public service to run the FBI....NOT!
6
I'm not surprised that Trump cannot accept the conclusions of the report but William Barr is another matter and I am now more worried about him than ever. Trump knows exactly what happened but simply wants to blow smoke in our eyes Barr on the other hand puzzles me. I can't decide whether he is also just lying or has some malignant psychological problem that has him in its grip. It could of course be that he has some behavior in his past that Trump and Putin know and he is terrified of it being exposed. It may also be any one of several strictly internal psychological problems.
In any case something very serious is amiss.
14
@Bunbury , Barr is a conservative Republicawho appears to have no interest in protecting our Constitution or the rule of law.
4
@sanderling1 Being a conservative Republican seems hardly sufficient explanation for a complete abandonment of the reality of Trumps crimes. Of course this is the same question we face with tens of millions of our felloe Americans.
When does it stop? When will the president of our country actually WORK on presidential matters that are important to all of us and take counsel from the "smartest people in the world" that he promised to bring in to help him govern? Plenty of time to watch TV, tweet, hold self-aggrandizing rallies, call in to Fox news shows, and play golf (I'm sure we all remember his "unlike Obama I won't have time to play golf I'll be too busy working" pledge). I also ask you to consider his cabinet and advisers and let you draw your own conclusions about their intellect (Ross, Devos, Perry, Carson, Steven Miller . . . and of course his family!). Some swamp draining. Add to all of this his inscrutable relationship with Putin and admiration of other autocrats and we have what I consider a dictator in training pants with a mob of Brown Shirts at heel. So it's no surprise that Trump would ignore the conclusions of the IG report, pick out a few comments that support his paranoid claim of treason and move on to the next investigation overseen by the suddenly sycophantic Barr that will eventually prove him "right." It's what junior dictators do. We can only hope that our fellow citizens start paying attention.
7
Once again, Barr reveals himself as just another Trump paid hand, except in this case it's the taxpayers who are picking up the tab. So now he declares that his own IG is not to be believed. Barr views himself as the Lord Chancellor, who confers his own brand of a monarchical authority to the office chief executive. He is an arrogant arbiter of all things judicial and all things religious, willing to condemn abortion but zealously pursue the resumption of federal executions. By willing to throw the FBI and DOJ under the bus to pander to Trump, he once again betrays the obligation of his own office to defend the rule of law. Of course, it wasn't the first time. His lobbying proactively to pardon Caspar Weinberger and five other Bush officials who had already been convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal should leave no doubt that Barr thinks the law is whatever the president - any president - deems it to be.
11
Wray might have face massive rebellion within the FBI had he not defended the institution.
2
I'm not sure the Times can fairly write: "Mr. Trump and some of his allies saw the dense report as proof that their conspiracy theories were in fact true."
They could "say", "indicate", "claim" or, perhaps "pretend" that they "saw" the report that way. But given this administration's taste for propaganda and fact shaving, there's no reason to take their assertions at face value.
2
The entire idea of dual power and investigating the investigators is directly out of the KGB playbook. This presidency will have done more harm to our American institutions than any in memory.
7
I highly doubt Trump read the report. There aren’t enough pictures.
6
Once Trump is jailed will Wm. Barr continue has his personal lawyer since Giuliani, by then disbarred, will be sharing the cell with Trump?
Perhaps Barr will also be disbarred (!). In that case, what ethical and principled lawyer would be willing to represent Trump?
3
Dershowitz.
1
"I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me."
How does the functionally illiterate trump even know what was in the one that was given to him? I am certain he didn't/couldn't read it. Perhaps Barr presented him with an oral summary of the version he wanted to hear.
8
Trump's abuse of power continues. He is making it very apparent that anyone who does not produce Trump's preordained outcome to an investigation is occupying their position on borrowed time. This is the response of a dictator or a mad king. Certainly not a US President who understands and is fulfilling his oath of office.
5
"I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me." - Donald J Trump 12/10/19
Note that Trump is careful to say "given to me", because he certainly did not read it.
5
"He doesn't agree with Steve Doocey, I better get rid of him."
1
How many more times does Trump need to criticize, by Tweet, a member of his administration for not supporting his lies and conspiracy theories before Americans understand that he should never have been president of the US. He is defensive, insecure, paranoid, and angry. His temperament is frighteningly alarming for a leader of this, or any country. I continue to be stunned that Americans still support him.
8
Of course it wasn't the same report Trump got. Wray's report was more than a page and didn't have pictures.
3
Since the tweet was free from weird punctuation and contains the bizarre suggestion that Trump read a report, I assume it was written by an aide.
5
Once again we see the typical Trump response to facts. A dangerous man in dangerous times. President Donald J Trump the one crowning achievement in Putin's hat.
5
This is what you get when you allow a child, instead of an adult, to be elected president. I’m talking about mental age not chronological age. The question is: we will allow a repeat of this disaster in 2020?
6
If Trump fires Wray, it should be the basis for another article of impeachment.
4
Vote all Republicans out of office.
Everything depends on it. Everything.
6
Mr. Wray should get hazard pay for having to work with a man who insists that he lie/cheat/steal for him. If he does quit or is fired, I hope he does not remain silent, as so many others have. If I were Wray, I'd say to the prez: "Get off my case(s)! Or I'll go right to Fox News and tell them on LIVE TV what's been going on here!" What a world.
5
trumps excuses for this are beyond ludicrous. after narrowly escaping impeachment because barr refused to bring charges over trumps' russian influence scheme, trump is meeting in the white house with russian foreign minister lavrov to discuss who knows what. and barr claims the fbi acted in bad faith???
6
Christopher A. Wray, is a fair and responsible FBI Director.
5
So, let’s see. Traditionally, the FBI has pursued fact-based evidence in investigating possible criminal activities. It has sought to remain outside political frays. It serves to protect all of us and to counter foreign espionage and other criminal activities. The FBI’s personnel have made mistakes in the past. One of the most serious was its failure to comprehend warnings from CIA agents about possible foreign terrorists in the U.S. plotting a major assault against financial and government institutions. The FBI was hampered by a firewall imposed after Watergate that separated CIA communications from those of the FBI and domestic law enforcement agencies.
It is regrettable that former FBI Director Comey did some things during the 2016 political campaign that likely sabotaged Hillary Clinton’s chances of being elected. His reopening of the investigation into Clinton’s private server and emails just days before the election, after he had cleared her of any wrongdoing, was fatal. He preempted the Attorney General of that time by giving a press conference in which he discussed his initial conclusion that Clinton was blameless. His job was to lead FBI teams to gather information and provide it to the AG, not to assume her role.
Wray has been more cautious in his leadership of the FBI. Still, the president feels he has been betrayed by “deep state” bureaucrats – a sign of his paranoia. He trusts his friends in the Kremlin more, to the detriment of all of us here in the USA.
8
The trail of Trump Administration casualties will grow ever longer. When will they ALL come forward to denounce his complete incompetence?
5
Well, I guess it's clear...the truth and reality have no place in Trump's mind or his actions. Now I bet he fires Wray and appoints his lackey Barr as acting FBI director.
I wonder what Trump has on Barr.
6
Trump is forever "lashing out" as somebody or "attacking" somebody. Why doesn't he just act like a grown-up. I am so tired of his drama. Just go away already.
12
Why has Trump waged a way against the FBI top brass for the last 3 years, fired/demeaned them and lowered their morale? Think it over for a minute. He did this because is a criminal. He is afraid his past financial crimes will be discovered by the FBI in due time. He needs a lackey at the top and is bent on saving his own skin.
8
@RS
Yes, why has Trump waged a war against US COUNTER-intelligence agencies in general--exactly what a Russian pawn would do.
3
Under President Trump, the FBI Director is an endangered species.
6
Cover Up Bob Barr’s specious comments in defiance of the IG’s findings is a vivid representation of the utter incompetence of nearly seemingly all of Trump’s staff selections. Wilbur Ross, Mick Mulvaney, Rick Perry, Betsy DuVos, Scott Pruitt, Ben Carson, Ryan Zinke, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pompeo, Alex Acosta, et al - like a never ending freight train of venal, fatuous losers selected by Trump to disgrace America in 4 brief years. They have all proven to be immensely terrible failures. Trump’s administration represents the precise definition of a Kakistocracy: The Worst people in Government, ever: when the most vile low life's are in control of a Government ..the most dreadful, awful, terrible, shocking, appalling, horrifying, horrific, horrendous, horrid, people are in power (-Urban Dictionary).
51
Trump Tweets, "I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me.". This statement indicates that Trump read the report. However I highly doubt that he read the report, as opposed to Mr. Wray, who I am certain read it very carefully. What is broken is Trump and his syncophant crew, who will keep pushing all of these false narratives, and work to make Trump the victim. I weep for what we have as our President because it makes America look like a bunch of fools. The world is laughing at us and crying for the loss of leadership in this country. Nancy Pelosi may not hate Trump, but I do because he is destroying our political system and trurning America into a banana Republic. He is a crook, swindler and Grifter. History will savage him.
61
@steve - Agreed. I hope there's a prison term involved, to demonstrate to everyone that we've regained our sanity.
7
You gotta give Trump credit. When he lies he makes sure to act on his lie as if it's the truth. So when he deliberately lies about the contents of the government watchdog report on the early stages of the Russia investigation and falsely claims that the report supports his made up conspiracy theories, logically he must accuse those who do not accept his lies, e.g. the FBI director, of being stupid, corrupt or not doing their jobs.
14
Bye, bye American Pie. Gotta know when to hold em and kneel when He calls em. --- Full explanation folks and full open air gutting tonite 12/10 at the PA rally. Oh my, Base gotta be on fire -- hear em roar..way deep in the heart of America.
4
Trump and Barr only agree with the facts they like, anything else is “fake”. Had he lost the 2016 election (or 2020) he calls it “rigged”. Barr will back him up.
They are both traitors to the country and to the constitution to which they swore to uphold. Include Pompeo, Mulvaney and Pence in this motley crew of criminals. We need to be rid of them as soon as possible.
25
Bill Barr is Trump's Tom Hagan, advising him on his criminal empire...But Tom and the Don (Corleone) were far more likeable and far less dangerous than Bill and the Don (Trump)..
Apologies to FDR, but 11/8/16 is a date which will live in infamy...
14
Close, he's trump's Roy Cohn, the black-souled McCarthyist / mob lawyer our president had already publicly yearned for.
3
I'm guessing Wray will not be invited to Bill Barr's big expensive holiday bash at the Trump hotel.
Congrats, Chris, you won't have to be deloused for bedbugs.
26
@J Wray and Comey may join each other in toasting that neither needs to be deloused.
3
The FBI and its agents are the true saviors against corrupt politicians like Trump. The Mafia Don and his consiglieres like Barr, Giuliani and others of the Team Trump deserve to be investigated by the FBI. Especially Trump's ties to Russia. Trump is the most incompetent, divisive and corrupt President in the history of the United States. A complete disgrace to America.
14
Maybe AG Barr was right. If you don’t respect law enforcement, they shouldn’t protect you.
3
This is surprising....to no one. Christopher Wray is an example of what happens to someone who is not loyal to Dear Leader Donald.
19
So Mr Barr has launched his own investigation into the now twice-investigated Russian election interference issue. I guess Mr Barr wants to demonstrate his own skills with a Sharpie and a weather map....
19
@Wild Ox
Watch for Rudy or Eric to head an investigation into the investigation into the investigation into the investigation into the investigation into the investigation.
Trump and cabal will keep going at it until they get the results they want and herald they have proof and vindication of they claimed all along.
3
You don't need to be able to read to be the Chosen One, you just need disciples...
11
Barr and Durham dispute the Inspector Horowitz' report, and Director Wray's assessment of it, no matter the facts. That is what sycophants do.
15
For anyone watching Watchmen, the Republican Party = 7th Kavalry. For anyone who watched Louie Gohmert’s performance during the impeachment hearings yesterday and more generally, he looked like he was about to get up and lynch Joe Biden himself. It was scary.
9
@Marcy
You really have to wonder about who it is that votes for Gohmert, and why? What has he done for his constituents that warrants him being returned to Congress repeatedly? I try not to judge someone based on their physical appearance, but Gohmert not only acts like someone of severely stunted intelligence, he takes pains to looks the part. What are the chances its mere coincidence and not the truth laid bare?
6
Isn't it time the FBI lashed back at Trump?
8
@Moehoward
That will come IF and when he is out of office. The military can't be too happy with him either.
2
As a congenital liar, Trump can’t believe the truth. He’s in love with his deep state illusions.
Beware the courtiers who tell him he’s not wearing any clothes. The emperor lacks any relationship to facts.
But he’ll get the right story when he hires another loser like AG Barr to head the FBI
Sad
8
What does Trump have on Barr?
8
So Donnie probably read the summary of a summary provide by his pet intern, Bill Barr.
Ability to read (or write) is dependent on human intelligence and attention span.
FBI - 400 page report
To Bill Barr - 10 line summary
From Barr to Trump - 2 word brief " Ur Cleared"
8
These are all things he ever does these days. Lashing out. Whining. Rage Tweeting. Name Calling. Eating. Sleep. Flushing Toilet 15 times.
12
The irony, of course, is that it's William Barr who should resign after his support of "spying" by the F.B.I. was just shown to be a "hoax" like all the Trump conspiracy theories. Instead, it's F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray who has flunked the latest Trump loyalty test and may soon have to resign or face, as his predecessor James Comey did, the Trump "tweet in the back" firing. As our premier law enforcement agency, it's clear that Trump continues his efforts to undermine it and make it his personal enforcement agency. Despite today's article of impeachment, Trump continues his march toward authoritarian rule with the F.B.I. his Gestapo.
7
After he fires Wray in the next upcoming days, he'll appoint Jared as the next FBI Chief. Morale in the FBI department is in the sewer while the KGB are popping corks!
10
IG: Good news, Mr. President. The FBI isn't corrupt, didn't spy on your campaign, and isn't biased against you.
Trump: Noooooo!!!!!
13
A Narcissistic, sociopath will go into a rage at the hint of any criticism.
William Barr and Michael Pence would be sent to the pillars, if they dared to speak the truth.
Senator Mitch McConnell and Pauly Rand would become ambassadors to Siberia, if they ever disagreed with the 'Anointed One'.
Republicans would face primaries for re-election if any defied the president.
The Department of Justice Inspector General's hours are numbered!!!
8
Dear Donald Trump:
In the face of Articles of Impeachment for conduct in violation of your oath of office and the constitution of the United States.....
I DARE you to fire Christopher Wray for such silly grievances on your part. Go ahead.. pull that trigger.. and see how it explodes in your face. Keep doubling down.. please... becasue each time you do.. you look even more foolish and incredible to voters outside of your hardcore base.
10
The "Alternate Facts" president strikes again.
7
No wonder he's gone bankrupt, is it six?, times. Management by terror and intimidation. The great 'business man' come to save the federal government from 'deep state' bureaucrats and 'drain the swamp' turns out (to no one's surprise) to be the creature from the Black Lagoon.
7
Trump is a profoundly ignorant pathological liar, who lives in his own confusing virtual reality. This pathetically incompetent bumbler has surrounded himself with complete sycophants (political hacks like Mulvaney, Barr, Pompeo et al) who play to Trump's vanity and narcissism. Christopher Wray appears to still have an ounce of integrity, which Trump is now squeezing out.
11
Remember when Michael Cohen said that Donald speaks in coded language: he still does, only Christopher Wray is ignoring it. When Donald says something is a particular way, no matter how outrageous, then that's the line his followers and Fox news are supposed to adopt, and for the most part, they do. I was hesitant to call him a cult leader at first, but in this sense, he truly is. Mr. Wray is to be commended for not playing along. It will be interesting to see if Donald starts a smear campaign against him or if he just fires him via Twitter or while he's out of town.
40
I think it's pretty clear from this latest tweet that Wray's days as the head of the FBI are numbered, and that his replacement will be someone who will be totally committed to Donald Trump and not the Constitution. That person will "fix" the institution to make it totally in line with what the President really wants: an organization with the power to pursue and punish his enemies and keep all of us in line. He already has an AG who believes that he should have virtually limitless power, a political party who will support him no matter what he does, and courts that appear to be increasingly sympathetic to giving their stamp of approval to whatever it is he wants to accomplish.
All this is happening before our very eyes. We are running out of time....fast.
1620
@Dick Carlson you mean a Barr clone? No doubt!
54
@Dick Carlson
....what he will get is another J. Edger Hoover.
23
@Dick Carlson Sadly, John Durham signaled he might be a willing player by jumping in before his investigation completes. If Trump can see the IG report as a win, we know what he’ll take away from Durham’s conclusions. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/us/politics/barr-durham-ig-report-russia-investigation.html
34
Trump doesn't know which report Wray was reading. We know that Trump hasn't read the report so who is filling his head with nonsense. is it Barr or Fox and Friends?
43
Barr is obviously not working for truth, justice, and the American way. At the same time, Trump is working for the Russians. Even those he and Giuliani turned to in Ukraine, including Manafort and Firtash, were working for the Russians
38
@loveman0
Barr, Pompeo, Mulvaney, and Pence are religious fanatics who see Trump as God's unsanitary instrument. Secular laws do not apply to them because they see themselves as following God's will in hoisting up Dear Leader. Their fervency also renders them immune to criticism because they see it as the price of martyrdom, though Pompeo and Barr seem to be particularly well fed martyrs.
5
Imagine what he would have done when Ukraine announced that they hadn’t any wrongdoing by Biden......
14
Wray will fall and America will be saddled with a Barr like figure as our FBI Director,not a lot of hope for Impeachment in the Senate.The results will be a emasculated congress and on our way to a 2nd of Trump and a dictatorship. Thank the Republican Party.
27
Why is everyone else on Earth wrong and not Trump?
54
Expect Jared to add FBI Director to his portfolio any day now.
41
It's disgusting but it works for Trump - over and over.
13
Mr. Wray, the next trump victim.
Everything trump touches dies.
All trump roads lead to Putin.
55
Trump only wants to be like Putin. Surround himself with enablers so he can do what ever he wants, even breaking the law because he can.
Fox News (should be Fox Tabloid) is really his base. Anyone watching it are all brainwashed like a cult. I bet Fox will soon point out flaws of the FBI director so he looks bad and have to step down or fired and Trump will try the next guy to see if he becomes like William Barr.
20
Trump lives in a delusional world of his own making. He may believe all the lies he tells. That must be why he continues to lie. He really believes that "The Deep State" was out to get him. If those in charge of investigating Trump's delusions don't see the world through Trump's distorted world view he lashes out at them for being part of the "Deep State" who are out to get him. What could be worse for America than to have a paranoid delusional narcissist in charge of so much of our government? Why can't those Republicans who continue to support him see how bad he has been, and will be, for the future of all Americans? The man is a dangerous "nut case", who, by virtue of incompetence and mental incapacity, should never have been elected. Those in the Congress who continue to support this mentally unstable president are essentially committing treason by so doing.
27
Trump is dangerous and will only become more dangerous once the Senate acquits him. Those who fail to remove him from office will regret having done so. Trumps behavior will become more extreme as more information of his criminality and misdeeds come to light.
32
I hope he fires Christopher Wray so that the republicans will have no excuse that he needs to be impeached.
8
Goodbye to separate branches of government.
Goodbye checks and balances.
Goodbye Consitution.
I am the state.
All Hail King Trump!
19
Trump's interpretation is that of a paranoid person who sees evil in just about everything around him.
12
The damage this administration has wrought on this country’s intelligence community is a searing shame.
25
Let's call it what it is: Trump tells blatant lies and slanders the FBI Director again because the report tells the truth, and his own party won't hold him accountable for his lies.
32
Yet again he's right and everyone else is wrong.. lives in his own world. How he commands a steady 40% approval rating is beyond my grasp. Lies, disproven theories, myths, mockery of the system, checks and balances, blatant racism, threats, abuse of power, accumulation of power for his family and friends... just sickens me
21
Is it possible that Trump needs to delegitimize the FBI in the event of his needing to be removed from office? Or if he refuses to accept loss at the election?
What an ugly scene that would be.
14
@Janssen
your coment:\
Or if he refuses to accept loss at the election?
/ /
THAT is really Scary..
que up Failsafe on the movie channel
Peter Sellers as one of the leaders henchmen .
Note Bazooka in the Golf bag...just sayin,,
3
The evidence that prompted the initiation of this investigation is well known and plenty to justify it. You would have to be an ignorant fool or a partisan hack to suggest that this investigation was launched "on the thinnest of suspicions". For Barr, being viewed as such by the 99% of FBI who are professionals, is apparently less of a problem than losing his job. Apparently the FBI director has the integrity to think otherwise.
11
Uh-oh. I’ve seen this movie before.
9
Now Trump turns on the F.B.I.
What is he trying to do, tie up the agency’s attention upon keeping him happy?
Maybe Vlad and his cronies need some room to help Trump in 2020, perhaps?
17
Of course Mr Trump lashed out at Director Wray. Does anyone actually expect different behavior from Mr Trump? Anyone who doesn’t agree with Trump’s view of the world is to be belittled and slandered. Trump the bully rules like one.
15
Have you ever noticed how many headlines start with "Trump Lashes Out?" Trump University should have had a class on anger control.
23
@Linda
Are you kidding? Can you imagine Trump University lessons on anger control? It'd be hysterical.
3
This guy has been and always will be radioactive. Toxic. He is a danger to all. Eventually he will be a danger to his rabid base.
Somehow he needs to be expelled very soon. This cannot stand. We do not want to go down this path.
25
Trump is gaslighting the entire nation. Enough already.
20
Trump said Wray read a different report. We all know Trump did not read any report. Someone read him a one-page distort from Barr.
24
Does this mean he's going to fire this FBI director?
3
If you believe Trump read the watchdog report, he's got a hotel to sell you across from the White House.
15
I think Ill just hold my breath until I turn purple said the president...
7
Read the report.
1
Donald
If disagreement breeds a lack of confidence, then i have a surprise for you - Most the country does not share your views about : Healthcare, Muslims, Mexicans, Women, Trade, Immigration, Russia etc. And that is barely scratching the surface.
10
Clearly Trump is looking for another lackey, like Barr, to fill the job with a political hack who will use the FBI to go after Trump's enemies, real and especially imagined. Another nail in the coffin. And for all you who said, "How much damage can he really do?" How about tearing apart the moral and ethical fabric of this country, let alone the rule of law.
1088
@scott
Get ready for new FBI Director Rudy Giuliani.
60
@scott totally agree. President Trump is destroying this country for his own political gain. There is no line he will not cross. I hope the American voters base their November 2020 on facts not continued falsehoods spewed by Trump and his lackeys.
76
@scott,
well, he found his Ray Cohn in Barr; now he's looking for a J. Edgar Hoover of his own.
50
He doesn't lash out at Russia; he lashes out at the FBI.
Barr said law enforcement should be given due respect; he didn't say except when it applies to the President -- or is the President above the law?
29
Trump's agreement with Fox News is that he provide a daily talking point or two for their very profitable "news" channel. The tweets are a smokescreen for what really amazes me: what he's doing behind our backs. Given that the cowardly Republican Senators won't vote to convict, everyone who dislikes what's going on needs to get to the voting booth next November. Which will show him 2 doors: one, out of the Oval Office. Two, into jail.
12
It might save Barr a lot of time and the taxpayers a lot of money if he just wrote the conclusion to his parallel investigation now. We all know his investigation will conclude whatever it is Barr and trump want it to conclude, so he may as well just write the conclusion now and present it to Fox News for broadcast to the deplorable s.
8
When will Donald Trump have somebody fire Chris Wray? So that he can brag to the Russians again?
Does the Director of the F.B.I. have to be an American?
Perhaps Vladimir Putin would be willing to offer the part time services of the head of Russian domestic intelligence agency aka FSB to his American friends?
Indeed, while the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting the White House today why not ask him to also unofficially assume the job Secretary of State?
Indeed there could be some cost and competence savings if we utilized Russian ministers if we want the best people in our government.
No collusion ! MAGA!
12
A man who spent his life plastering his name across big tacky buildings is not likely to understand the concept of anyone not championing him, and he’s certainly incapable of grasping that the FBI has always strived to remain free from political bias. If you’re not fawning over Trump every time you open your mouth, in his rapidly deteriorating mind, that means you’re against him.
How did such a man ever become the Republican nominee? I’m old enough to remember when Republicans hollered about the President not being a king — and I’m not that old. I’m referring to the Tea Party Republicans during the Obama years. Their hypocrisy is so revolting.
24
“I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me.”
Considering the one given to Trump was likely just a “thumbs up” emoji printed on a piece of paper, this checks out.
21
What?! Trump lashed out at the FBI because they didn't do as they were told?
When has that ever happened before?
7
I do not know how I would feel if I worked in the FBI and spent months painstakingly researching and investigating the data necessary to compile this report, all to have it dismissed by both of my bosses, the President and the Attorney General, in favor of a conspiracy dreamed up in a Fox News back room.
....Actually I do, but I would want, need to keep my job.
9
Once again, Trump and Republicans are inserting their fantasy world stories in place of facts based realities.
10
What is just as egregious is AG Barr taking the side of the President against his own Justice Department, and initiating his "own" investigation into the very folks charged with keeping this country safe. Barr should be impeached for his obvious bias and failure to perform his duties; he is supposed to be the lawyer for the country - not for the President. Here is the job description from the Office of the Attorney General:
"The mission of the Office of the Attorney General is to supervise and direct the administration and operation of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bureau of Prisons, Office of Justice Programs, and the U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals Service, which are all within the Department of Justice."
I don't see "act as legal lackey to the President" any where on this website!
9
Between the FBI and CIA; they know everything about Trump - so why is he still in office ?
9
Look at the bright side - as POTUS we are limited in the volume of clown damage.
Imagine if he were running a restaurant, or a hospital. Bodies everywhere (and probably still full of "spin").
4
Donald Trump will never have confidence in any FBI Director so long as that person does not lie for him and peddle his self serving conspiracy theories.
Don’t leave Mr. Wray. You have a 10 year term. You work for the American people and we won’t accept your resignation.
Mr. Trump’s next choice will be a flunky who will destroy the FBI. I think we all know that. Trump wants no organization with the ability to investigate him and his treason to exist.
Stand firm for the country.
16
Of course Christopher Wray does not want to resign, but he must. He is dangling by a thread now and he should use his voice, while he still has the floor, to punch back hard at the Trump. Perhaps he can set an example for the herd of cowards among the Cabinet, agency heads, the Joint Chiefs, and the Republican Congressional leadership.
5
@Ken I appreciate the sentiment of wanting Wray to resign. But this is supposed to be a 10-year non-partisan position. So, I would make Trump fire me.
2
Barr's behavior renders his views on this administration's criminal conduct moot. He sees the President as a king. We The People vehemently disagree.
8
So having William Barr in charge of Justice isn't enough power for Trump. He has to have a Barr mini-me in charge of the FBI also. Trump is using Wray's following the direction of the I.G. (which he is obligated to do) as an excuse to throw him under the bus.
Let's see which right wing media star Trump appoints to lead the FBI. He'll probably have the successful candidate swear out a loyalty oath to him beforehand... this time.
4
So now, we will have a "Trumped up" version of this investigation to replace the factual one. Truth has died under this administration.
740
@Mary,
After the Senate gets the trial,so will Democracy.
18
@Mary - On the contrary, the truth is always the truth. What died, thanks to rigid partisanship, is objectivity and respect for the Constitution and the truth.
30
@Mary,
truth didn't die, it got murdered.
55
The notion that you-know-who actually READ a 434-page report just caused me to snortle coffee all over my laptop screen.
9
Time to purge Wray and replace him with Jared.
4
What next? Naming William Barr the acting director of the FBI?
3
"Facts don't matter" - this sums up the entire Trump raison d'être.
8
Hang in there Director Wray! So far you and your organization have been able to tune out the noise coming from the White House. Please know that the majority of Americans fully support the work & findings of the FBI.
7
President Trump through Attorney General Barr have already turned the Justice Department into the Injustice Department. This proof of this perversion includes Barr’s spinning the Mueller report wrongly in Trump’s favor, Barr’s not calling Trump’s bribery in Ukraine wrong and Barr’s support of Trump’s draconian immigration and asylum policies
Trump is still trying to turn the FBI into the FBW: Federal Bureau of Whitewashing.
4
It's been established that Trump doesn't have the attention span to read anything. The notion that he read any of this report is absurd.
7
The Republican Party, it can now be safely concluded, exists to solely for the purpose of protecting privilege, wealth, and corporate power and is willing to accept and exploit the support of anyone, no matter how scrofulous or ignorant, to aid them in that endeavor. If you are a Republican with a scintilla of respect for the rule of law, your duty is transparently clear: you cannot in good conscience vote for Donald Trump or the quislings who continue to enable him.
9
Would you buy a used car from a lot where the owner dumps on the sales staff he hired?
4
Trump's cheating and the Republican's looking the other way is somewhat analogous to Patrick Reed and the rest of the US Presidents Cup team, ( no doubt Republicans all ). Everybody else just looks on in fascinated awe, horror and wonder that the US has sunk so low.
2
We - the American people - allow this wholly corrupt Presidency to continue at our own peril. When the full consequences of our shameful abdication of responsibility as citizens arrive, try to remember that there had been more than enough information and opportunity to stop it before it was too late.
7