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CNN: McCabe’s Abrupt Departure May Be Tied To Internal Investigation Findings

McCabeThe early departure of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has led to a spasm of speculation and criticism ranging from Comey’s warning of the destruction of  FBI knuckling under President Donald Trump to overwrought analogies to the rise of Hitler by one CNN commentator.  However, there are indications that McCabe may have been shown the door by FBI Director Chris Wray and even told that he faced demotion in light of an internal investigation.  Notably, on the eve of this disclosure a story was leaked that detailed the conversation between McCabe and Trump where Trump taunts McCabe about his wife being a political “loser.”  If true, the comments were shocking and distasteful but the emergence of these conflicting accounts show the intense struggle in Washington to control the narrative following McCabe taking leave pending his retirement. There have also been allegations of leaks by McCabe as both sides seeks to frame this controversy.

 

What is also notable is the continued leaks from Trump’s inner circle.  A new report describes Trump having a “tirade” on Air Force One because a top Justice Department official objected to the release of the four-page memo.  The content and speed of his leak is clearly meant to damage Trump and has to be coming from within his close staff — a recurring problem.  The motivation behind these leaks is an interesting question. It is not clear if it is meant to simply damage or somehow to deter the President .

CNN is reporting that Wray hinted in a message of FBI employees that McCabe was forced out and did not voluntarily take his leave. The impression left by the memo was that this followed Wray looking at a forthcoming inspector general report about the FBI’s conduct during the 2016 election.  It has also been noted that the leave was taken after Wray personally read the controversial four-page memo being released by the House committee.

The abrupt departure of McCabe obviously played into the association with these investigations but Wray amplified those connections in his message to staff.

Notably, after the Comey termination, we saw his leaking of his memos which notably changed the narrative over Comey’s past performance issues.  I have written that the memos, which would have inevitably been reviewed by the investigators, were leaked for tactical reasons by Comey.  The same purpose may be behind the sudden leaking of the alleged conversation between Trump and McCabe after Comey’s termination.

In the conversation, Trump demands to know why Comey was allowed to fly back to Washington on an FBI plane after he was fired.  Comey learned of his termination from news reports. I (and others) have criticized the Administration for not giving Comey advanced notice as a simple matter of courtesy and professionalism.  Comey was caught out of town by the news.  Trump was irate that the FBI flew him home and McCabe correctly noted that, while he was not asked, he would have given Comey permission to return on the plane.  That would, in my view, be the decent thing to do for a longtime public servant who was blindsided by this news — as opposed to abandoning him to find a way back.  Trump, according to the report, was silent after McCabe’s response and told him to ask his wife what it felt like to be a loser. McCabe reportedly responded by saying simply “OK, sir,” before Trump hung up.

If the account is true, it is highly disconcerting that a president would engage in such taunting or begrudge Comey a return flight. It is also interesting however that this story would be released by someone with news of McCabe’s alleged forced departure from the agency.

Washington is now awaiting for the release of the memo, which has been built up to a point that could backfire for the GOP.  The hype around the memo makes it sound like a combination of the Pentagon Papers and the Zimmerman telegram.  Hopefully, the White House is allowed a full vetting of the classified content.  Ultimately, the President is the final judge of such classification issues on what the public should know.  Yet, this is a rare case of a forced release without declassification by the relevant agencies.

181 thoughts on “CNN: McCabe’s Abrupt Departure May Be Tied To Internal Investigation Findings”

  3. whoever wrote this speech should be put in stocks. Even Trump is bored – can barely stay awake and plod through it.

  4. I am watching the Trump State of the Union Speech. It is very good. I am not a Trumpster. But, I am a citizen and I support our President. We have much do do to make America Great Again. I want the Dems to come on board. I voted for Hillary and regret it. I don’t know if I will vote Democrat next time around but until then I will support our President.
    Mister President! Have pity on the working man.

    1. so one comment I liked: “If HRC had won we’d have the TPP and jobs would be disappearing quicker than Nancy Pelosi’s brain cell” =)

      Watching Kennedy – 15 seconds in RUSSIA !!

      What did Putin say today? “Dogs are bark, but the caravans move on”

      1. Now I am watching this fruit named Kennedy who is crying and ranting on behalf of the Democratic Party. I am a Dem but he does not speak for me. Where did they get this weeney? Is he some offspring of JFK’s father? What a dork!

  6. This is really simple.

    He is taking early retirement and right now using up his accrued vacation. Jeeze!

  7. Trump brings out the grieving Navy Seal widow twice? And Ivanka right beside her (again). I thought I was hallucinating. Sad..

    1. Apparently I was hallucinating – it was last year’s speech. Note to self: have another glass of wine

      1. Autumn,…
        If you see Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Bernie smiling, applauding, or otherwise showing signs of life, then you’ll know you’re hallucinating.

          1. Autumn,..
            I caught most of the speech, then I flipped channels to watch the analysts on different networks tell me what I just saw.

    1. Last week, his wife took a $64,200 mini vacation (24 hrs.) down south. Travel expenses to the spa were paid by the taxpayers.

        2. Added point. What are the odds that Trump knows the median U.S.family makes $14,000 less in a year than was spent on that one-day spa trip?

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