Trump Fires Back After McCabe CBS Interview, Calls Him a 'Puppet'
President Donald Trump labeled Andrew McCabe a “puppet” of James Comey after the former FBI director’s deputy revealed he was the one who initiated obstruction of justice and counterintelligence probes into the president’s ties to Russia following Comey’s firing.
McCabe told CBS “60 Minutes” host Scott Pelley in an interview set to air on Sunday that he took these actions the day after Trump fired Comey, citing the FBI’s director’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation and his leadership of the bureau.
“I was very concerned that I was able to put the Russia case on absolutely solid ground, in an indelible fashion,” McCabe said. “That were I removed quickly, or reassigned or fired, that the case could not be closed or vanish in the night without a trace.”
“I wanted to make sure that our case was on solid ground, and if somebody came in behind me and closed it and tried to walk away from it, they would not be able to do that without creating a record of why they’d made that decision,” he added.
“I was speaking to the man who had just … won the election for the presidency and who might have done so with the aid of the government of Russia.” Former FBI acting director Andrew McCabe, Sunday on 60 Minutes. https://t.co/IVwcM11BGc pic.twitter.com/m6HwHMOqY9
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) February 14, 2019
Trump removed Comey on May 9, 2017, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named Robert Mueller special counsel over the Russia investigation a little over a week later on May 17.
McCabe is promoting his new book, “The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump.”
The president responded to McCabe’s “60 Minutes” comments tweeting Thursday, “Disgraced FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe pretends to be a ‘poor little Angel’ when in fact he was a big part of the Crooked Hillary Scandal & the Russia Hoax – a puppet for Leakin’ James Comey. I.G. report on McCabe was devastating. Part of ‘insurance policy’ in case I won.”
Disgraced FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe pretends to be a “poor little Angel” when in fact he was a big part of the Crooked Hillary Scandal & the Russia Hoax – a puppet for Leakin’ James Comey. I.G. report on McCabe was devastating. Part of “insurance policy” in case I won….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2019
In a second tweet, Trump added, “Many of the top FBI brass were fired, forced to leave, or left. McCabe’s wife received BIG DOLLARS from Clinton people for her campaign – he gave Hillary a pass. McCabe is a disgrace to the FBI and a disgrace to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
….Many of the top FBI brass were fired, forced to leave, or left. McCabe’s wife received BIG DOLLARS from Clinton people for her campaign – he gave Hillary a pass. McCabe is a disgrace to the FBI and a disgrace to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2019
The Department of Justice’s inspector general released a report last April concluding that McCabe “lacked candor, including under oath, on multiple occasions in connection with describing his role in connection with a disclosure to the (Wall Street Journal)” in violation of FBI policy, and that his “disclosure of the existence of an ongoing investigation in the manner described in this report violated the FBI’s and the Department’s media policy and constituted misconduct.”
In March 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe two days before he was slated to retire based on the OIG’s findings that he had not been honest with investigators about his disclosures to the media, The Wall Street Journal reported.
McCabe came under increased scrutiny following the release of text messages by the inspector general in December 2017 between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.
In the texts, Strzok described Trump during the 2016 campaign as a “loathsome human” and an “idiot,” and found the prospect of him being president “terrifying.”
Page, who was having an affair with Strzok, texted him, “There is no way (Trump) gets elected.”
Strzok then replied, “I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office … that there’s no way he gets elected — but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk.
“It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40.”
“Andy” apparently referred to McCabe.
The Wall Street Journal reported the “insurance policy” was a reference to the FBI’s Russia investigation targeting the Trump campaign.
Both Strzok and Page worked on Mueller’s Russia probe until their anti-Trump texts were uncovered.
Strzok was fired from the FBI over the texts last August and Page resigned in May 2018.
Fox News reported former FBI general counsel James Baker, who also resigned last May, is under criminal investigation for leaking information to the media.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called for McCabe to testify before the panel.
After Mr. McCabe’s 60 Minutes interview, it is imperative that he, and others, come before @senjudiciary to fully explain how and why a FISA warrant was issued against Carter Page and answer questions about what appears to be, now more than ever, bias against President Trump.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 14, 2019
He tweeted, “After Mr. McCabe’s 60 Minutes interview, it is imperative that he, and others, come before @senjudiciary to fully explain how and why a FISA warrant was issued against Carter Page and answer questions about what appears to be, now more than ever, bias against President Trump.”
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