Top Items:
Josh Dawsey / Politico:
Behind Comey's firing: An enraged Trump, fuming about Russia — President Donald Trump weighed firing his FBI director for more than a week. When he finally pulled the trigger Tuesday afternoon, he didn't call James Comey. He sent his longtime private security guard to deliver …
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CNN:
CNN exclusive: Grand jury subpoenas issued in FBI's Russia investigation — Washington (CNN)Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year's election …
New York Times:
F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump — WASHINGTON — President Trump has dismissed the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, said Tuesday. — “While I greatly appreciate you informing me …
Discussion:
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New York Times:
Updates and Reactions to F.B.I. Director Comey's Firing — President Trump has fired James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, the White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. — Mr. Comey was delivering a speech in Los Angeles when he learned he had been fired.
Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
After Trump fired Comey, White House staff scrambled to explain why — White House press secretary Sean Spicer wrapped up his brief interview with Fox Business from the White House grounds late Tuesday night and then disappeared into the shadows, huddling with his staff behind a tall hedge.
Discussion:
Political Wire, Gizmodo and The Week
Jonathan Bernstein / Bloomberg:
Key to Keeping Trump-Russia Inquiry Alive: 3 Republicans — To force Trump's hand on investigating Russia, all it takes is 3 of the 52 Senate Republicans to work with the 48 Democrats. — As I write, we don't really have any idea why Donald Trump decided to fire FBI Director James Comey …
Discussion:
The Week
Zoe Tillman / BuzzFeed:
A Former Top Official Cited In The DOJ's Comey Memo Calls Firing A “Sham” — Donald Ayer, who served as the deputy attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, told BuzzFeed News that Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation was being used to justify his firing “for a very different reason.”
Michael Goodwin / New York Post:
Why James Comey had to go — MORE FROM: … A curious belief in some circles of journalism holds that if both sides are equally unhappy with your story, you've done a good job. I never subscribed to that approach, and thankfully, President Trump didn't when it came to the performance of James Comey.
Discussion:
Washington Post and New York Magazine
CNN:
Behind the scenes of James Comey's epic firing — Washington (CNN)A little past 5 p.m. Tuesday, a black Ford Taurus slowed to a stop just outside FBI headquarters in Washington and dispatched a white-haired man in a dark suit. — He emerged from the car alone, a manila folder in his right hand …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, IJR, Washington Post and Talking Points Memo
Mike Allen / Axios:
GOP baffled by timing; WH braces for independent probe — In a swirl of sobering questions about the Constitution and the rule of law, many Republicans are asking simply: Why now? Why?! — Republicans around town, and even some White House officials, tell me they're baffled …
Discussion:
Politico, New York Times, Yahoo! Finance and Yahoo
Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Trump's credibility on the line with Comey's ouster — NOTABLES —ANALYSIS - ABC's RICK KLEIN: In a presidency defined by the unprecedented, this is a big deal, bigger even than politics itself. These are republic-defining, Constitution-preserving stakes …
Discussion:
Politico
Wall Street Journal:
Before James Comey's Dismissal, a Growing Frustration at White House — In the months before James Comey's dismissal, frustration was growing among top associates of President Donald Trump that the FBI director wouldn't publicly tamp down questions about possible collusion with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race.
Discussion:
New York Magazine
mccain.senate.gov:
STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON DISMISSAL OF FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY — Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on the dismissal of FBI Director James Comey: — “While the President has the legal authority to remove the Director of the FBI …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Lawfare, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Mother Jones, The Daily Signal, Hit & Run and The Daily Caller
Bwittes / Lawfare:
The Nightmare Scenario: Trump Fires Comey, the One Man Who Would Stand Up to Him
The Nightmare Scenario: Trump Fires Comey, the One Man Who Would Stand Up to Him
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Week, The American Conservative, Business Insider, The Moderate Voice and The Daily Caller
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
Donald Trump Is Lying Again, Now About James Comey
Donald Trump Is Lying Again, Now About James Comey
Discussion:
Washington Post, AOL, Politicus USA, The Week and Talking Points Memo
New York Times:
Donald Trump's Firing of James Comey
Donald Trump's Firing of James Comey
Discussion:
Common Dreams, The Hill, Just Security, The Atlantic, Business Insider, The Week, Mashable and Mediaite
The Daily Beast:
President Donald Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey, and Even White House Aides Are Stunned
President Donald Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey, and Even White House Aides Are Stunned
Discussion:
The Hill, Fox News Insider, The Daily Caller, CNBC, Washington Post, Raw Story, New York Times, Politico, The Atlantic, Mediaite, Business Insider and Talking Points Memo
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Into the Abyss: Trump Fires Comey
Into the Abyss: Trump Fires Comey
Discussion:
National Review, Los Angeles Times, Washington Examiner, The Guardian, Hit & Run and Common Dreams
Darren Samuelsohn / Politico:
FBI agents in tears as news of Comey's firing spread
FBI agents in tears as news of Comey's firing spread
Discussion:
Business Insider, Axios, Washington Post and ABC News
Politico:
Is This a Constitutional Crisis? — As the news broke late …
Is This a Constitutional Crisis? — As the news broke late …
Discussion:
John Hawkins' Right Wing News, The Atlantic, The Federalist, Axios, National Review, Josh Blackman's Blog and ABC News
Peter Baker / New York Times:
In Trump's Firing of James Comey, Echoes of Watergate
In Trump's Firing of James Comey, Echoes of Watergate
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, CNBC, Daily Kos, The Guardian, Business Insider, Washington Post, Axios, Mediaite, AOL, The National Interest, The Week and Talking Points Memo
Rosie Gray / The Atlantic:
Giuliani Says He's Not a Candidate for FBI Director
Giuliani Says He's Not a Candidate for FBI Director
Discussion:
Political Wire
Olivia Nuzzi / New York Magazine:
Rudy Giuliani Is Visiting the White House, But He Says It Has Nothing to Do With Comey's Firing
Rudy Giuliani Is Visiting the White House, But He Says It Has Nothing to Do With Comey's Firing
Discussion:
Axios
Dan Merica / CNN:
Who is Keith Schiller, the man Trump sent to fire Comey?
James S. Robbins / USA Today:
James Comey firing was inevitable
James Comey firing was inevitable
Discussion:
National Review, Washington Post and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Noah Feldman / Bloomberg:
Comey's Firing Is a Crisis of American Rule of Law
Comey's Firing Is a Crisis of American Rule of Law
Discussion:
The Guardian, BuzzFeed and Business Insider
Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:
Trump and Comey: An Abrupt Ending That Was a Year in the Making
Trump and Comey: An Abrupt Ending That Was a Year in the Making
Discussion:
Politico, Business Insider and The Week
David Ignatius / Washington Post:
The Comey debacle only magnifies the Russia mystery
The Comey debacle only magnifies the Russia mystery
Discussion:
Axios, Daily Kos, Informed Comment, Washington Free Beacon, Talking Points Memo, The Mahablog and CNN
Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:
After Comey's ouster, Democrats press for independent probe of Russia's meddling in election
Washington Post:
Comey firing: Reaction from members of Congress on FBI director's dismissal
Comey firing: Reaction from members of Congress on FBI director's dismissal
Discussion:
Shareblue, IJR, Washington Free Beacon, Talking Points Memo, The Week, TheBlaze, WNCN, KTLA, CBS San Francisco, FOX News Radio, Mediaite, Fox News Insider and Mother Jones
Joel Gehrke / Washington Examiner:
Schumer: No confidence in Comey
Schumer: No confidence in Comey
Discussion:
Fox News, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, CNBC, Fox News Insider, Daily Kos, Need To Know Network and Mediaite
James Comey / ABC News:
FBI Director Comey fired amid Russia probe
FBI Director Comey fired amid Russia probe
Discussion:
Politico, Geller Report, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Political Wire, CNBC, Conservative News Today, Scared Monkeys, The Hill, CBS Miami, CBS New York, Balloon Juice, BostonGlobe.com, Hot Air, Joe.My.God., Townhall.com, Raw Story, Eschaton, emptywheel, MichelleMalkin.com, Common Dreams, The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider, CBS Los Angeles, The Week, FOX31 Denver, The Guardian, ACLU, Washington Times and TheBlaze
Garrett M. Graff / Politico:
The Political Isolation of Jim Comey
The Political Isolation of Jim Comey
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Politicaldog101.Com, Axios and ABC News
Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
There's no reason to believe Donald Trump's rationale for firing James Comey
There's no reason to believe Donald Trump's rationale for firing James Comey
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Tara Bahrampour / Washington Post:
U.S. Census director resigns amid turmoil over funding of 2020 count — The director of the U.S. Census Bureau is resigning, leaving the agency leaderless at a time when it faces a crisis over funding for the 2020 decennial count of the U.S. population and beyond.
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, The Hill and NPR
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
White House leakers have new target: H. R. McMaster — National security adviser H.R. McMaster has become the latest target of the leaks and infighting that have dogged the Trump administration's early days. — President Trump has tried to put an end to White House staffers placing palace intrigue stories …
Wall Street Journal:
Comey Dismissal Upends Probes of Trump Campaign Ties to Russia — President Donald Trump's decision to fire the head of the FBI in the midst of the bureau's probe into possible links between his presidential campaign and Russia added impetus to calls for a special counsel to handle the case.