Trump eliminates witnesses against him

I first heard of the deputy director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, just after then FBI director James Comey had been fired by Trump. McCabe was called before congress for comment on, among other things, whether the rank and file of the FBI had become disenchanted with Comey, as the White House had asserted ...



McCabe has been the victim of attacks by Trump from the moment Comey had been fired ...

The day after he fired James Comey as director of the FBI, a furious President Donald Trump called the bureau's acting director, Andrew McCabe, demanding to know why Comey had been allowed to fly on an FBI plane from Los Angeles back to Washington after he was dismissed, according to multiple people familiar with the phone call.

McCabe told the president he hadn’t been asked to authorize Comey’s flight, but if anyone had asked, he would have approved it, three people familiar with the call recounted to NBC News. The president was silent for a moment and then turned on McCabe, suggesting he ask his wife how it feels to be a loser — an apparent reference to a failed campaign for state office in Virginia that McCabe’s wife made in 2015. McCabe replied, “OK, sir.” Trump then hung up the phone.

Trump continued his attacks on McCabe via Twitter. Trump even demanded McCabe tell him who he had voted for in the 2016 election. Trump also told Sessions to get Christopher Wray, Trump's replacement for Comey, to fire McCabe, and it appears now that Wray has indeed pressured McCabe to leave ...

Taunted by Trump and Pressured From Above, McCabe Steps Down as F.B.I. Deputy

Andrew G. McCabe abruptly stepped down on Monday as the F.B.I.’s deputy director after months of withering criticism from President Trump, telling friends he felt pressure from the head of the bureau to leave, according to two people close to Mr. McCabe.

Though Mr. McCabe’s retirement had been widely expected soon, his departure was nevertheless sudden. It added to what has already been a chaotic upheaval at the F.B.I. under Mr. Trump, who has responded to an investigation into his campaign with broadside attacks against both the bureau and the Justice Department.

As recently as last week, Mr. McCabe had told people he hoped to stay until he was eligible to retire in several weeks. Instead, he will immediately go on leave and retire on March 18.

In a recent conversation, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, raised concerns about a forthcoming inspector general report. In that discussion, according to one former law enforcement official close to Mr. McCabe, Mr. Wray suggested moving Mr. McCabe into another job, which would have been a demotion. Instead, the former official said, Mr. McCabe chose to leave. In an email to F.B.I. employees, he said he was leaving with “sadness.” ...

I think it is shameful the way Andy McCabe has been treated by Trump and his minions. But there's more to this as well. McCabe was but one of three men at the FBI that James Comey confided in about his meetings with Trump and who might be witnesses against Trump for an obstruction of justice charge. What has become of them? ...

The FBI officials Trump has targeted are Andrew McCabe, the current deputy FBI director and who was briefly acting FBI director after Comey’s firing; Jim Rybicki, Comey’s chief of staff and senior counselor; and James Baker, formerly the FBI’s general counsel. Those same three officials were first identified as possible corroborating witnesses for Comey in a June 7 article in Vox. Comey confirmed in congressional testimony the following day that he confided in the three men ...

Trump has fired Comey and now Christopher Wray has had both Baker and Rybicki replaced and has forced out McCabe.

The next person Trump and his Republican toadies will go after is Rod Rosenstein, the one guy keeping Trump from getting rid of Mueller and the investigation ... think memo: Secret Memo Hints at a New Republican Target: Rod Rosenstein ...