FBI Director Christopher Wray, appointed in 2017 by Donald Trump to a 10-year term, announced on Wednesday that he will step down in January, two years early, and it’s because Trump doesn’t find the guy he nominated to be sufficiently loyal.
“After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then step down,” Wray said. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”
Trump has signaled that he will nominate Kash Patel, a guy who has not held a real job outside of government and consulting, but tries to cut the image of government-hater.
Patel is very much a Trump loyalist, who has pledged to shut down the FBI headquarters in D.C. and turn it into a Museum of the Deep State, because of course that’s what a guy appointed by Donald Trump to lead the FBI would do.
Trump, being Trump, dunked on Wray in a lengthy post on social media, after the news came down that the insufficiently loyal Wray was tucking tail and running for the hills.
“The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice,” Trump wrote, channeling his inner drunk grandpa at the Christmas dinner table.
“I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” Trump wrote.
Maybe don’t steal government documents, and the FBI won’t have to execute search warrants to get them back, would be one bit of advice there.
Trump is making Christopher Wray out to be J. Edgar Hoover, when it’s his guy Kash Patel that he wants to sic on his political enemies.
“The Director of the FBI is responsible for protecting the independence of the FBI from inappropriate influence in its criminal investigations. That independence is central to preserving the rule of law and to protecting the freedoms we as Americans hold dear,” said Merrick Garland, the outgoing Attorney General.
“Director Wray has done that job with integrity and skill. He has my gratitude, the gratitude of the FBI agents and employees whose respect and admiration he has earned, and the gratitude of the American people,” said Garland, who in an alternate universe should be nearing his 10-year anniversary on the United States Supreme Court.
We also got a statement from U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the outgoing chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who said that while he is “disappointed that he will be stepping down before completing his 10-year term, I understand that Director Wray is simply trying to do what he has always done – which is act with integrity – and I thank him for the principled leadership he brought to the FBI and for his service to the country.”
“As we look ahead to the process of confirming a new leader for the FBI, it is essential that the next Director be someone who shares Director Wray’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and the rule of law, so that the men and women of the FBI can continue their vital work safeguarding national security, fighting crime, and ensuring justice for all,” Warner said.
Let’s not hold our breath on that one.
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Chris Graham
