When former President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, it caused a massive firestorm of attention considering the timing. While Trump claimed that the “FBI has been in turmoil,” Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein pointed to Comey’s “handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary [Hillary] Clinton’s emails.” The former administration claimed that Comey was removed from his role at the recommendation of Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. And, of course, Trump fired Sessions later, too.
When Trump brought Bill Barr as Attorney General, it was just more drama on steroids at the country’s expense. Business Insider reports that Barr threatened to quit when Trump sought to fire another FBI director.
“Ushered into the Roosevelt Room, Barr encountered Johnny McEntee, the former college quarterback who had become a top Trump aide,” the report states. “McEntee introduced Barr to Bill Evanina, a top counterintelligence official in the administration who had previously worked at the FBI.”
“What’s this all about?” Barr asked about the meeting.
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“Before long, Barr saw through the awkward introduction,” the outlet reports. “Evanina was being presented as the answer to a question that had stymied the White House as President Donald Trump flirted openly with firing FBI Director Chris Wray: Who, if not Wray, should lead the bureau?”
Barr abruptly left the room, according to the report.
“The episode, which has not been previously reported and was described to Insider by a person briefed on the matter, was seen in some corners of the Trump administration as the closest Wray came to getting fired,” the report continues. “When told of the plotting — which also involved replacing then-Deputy FBI Director David Bowdich with the controversial Trump national security advisor Kash Patel — Barr threatened to resign in protest, according to the person briefed on the deliberations.”
President Joe Biden has kept Wray on as FBI Director. Wray is working with Attorney general Merrick Garland on taking on domestic terrorism. That’s quite a contrast from the former guy, who demanded loyalty, but with Trump, loyalty is a one-way street. For proof of that, just ask Jeff Sessions.
You can read the full report here.
Featured image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr, under Creative Commons license 2.0/screen capture
