“The best outcome for the Trump administration would be for the investigation to be held and to conclude that President Trump did not, in fact, collude with Russia…”
A showdown in Washington D.C. could be brewing as FBI Director James Comey provided little cover for President Donald Trump in his recent Congressional testimony. The FBI Director is an appointed position, and as such the director serves “at the pleasure” of the President. Some appointments (Supreme Court) are for life, but Comey could be let go at any time. And that time might be coming sooner rather than later. However, President Trump could face fierce backlash if he does let Comey go.
First, let’s dig into what Comey said at his House Intelligence Committee hearing. Other news outlets have been describing it as a “Trump take down” among other bombastic terms. Per usual, such illustrations are a misrepresentation. Comey didn’t really go after President Trump, but also provided the president little in the way of cover.
No Evidence of Obama Ordered Wire Tap
Most importantly, Comey made it clear that the FBI has found no evidence of an Obama ordered wiretap or other subversive activities on the previous White House’s part. Comey said quite specifically that there is no evidence to support the president’s tweets.
This is especially interesting as most accusations so far have pointed to the FBI allegedly carrying out the alleged wiretap. If the FBI did so, Comey would certainly know. As such either Comey is telling the truth and the FBI did not carry out a wiretap, or he just lied to Congress. More than likely it’s the former owing to potential legal ramifications of lying to Congress, as well as the lack of evidence offered elsewhere.
Even the White House has been walking back wiretap claims, with Press Secretary Sean Spicer claiming that President Trump didn’t mean literal wiretaps, but instead that the White House ordered “surveillance” on Trump Tower.
Russia Didn’t Hack Anything, But Did Try To Influence Election
The FBI has thus far not found any evidence that Russia tried to directly hack voting machines. Owing to discrepancies with exit polls, as well as with projections leading up to the election, some have wondered if the election might have literally been “hacked”. Despite exhaustive inquiries into the matter, no evidence of such hacking has been found.
That being said, Comey did acknowledge that Russia appeared to be trying to influence the outcome of the election. Comey, along with NSA head Michael Rogers, both stood by a January intelligence report that suggested Russia was attempting to help President Trump win at the expense of Hillary Clinton.
Comey also acknowledged that the FBI is investigating Russia’s involvement, and is examining whether any President Trump staffers worked directly with Russia or broke any laws. This is being described as a “bombshell” announcement, but should come as no surprise. Such an investigation would be natural and necessary given the widespread belief that Russia interfered with elections.
Real Take Away: Rift Between White House and Intelligence Will Widen
Perhaps the biggest takeaway here is that the rift between the White House and the intelligence community will only widen in the weeks and months ahead. Comey may find himself in hot water, but President Trump will likely be reticent to remove him at the moment. Doing so would lead to accusations of fascism and abuse of power. If the FBI were to make a major slip-up in the months ahead, however, don’t be surprised if Comey is shown the door.
Russia does need to be investigated. This is not a partisan issue, but a national security issue. The best outcome for the Trump administration would be for the investigation to be held and to conclude that President Trump did not, in fact, collude with Russia. President Trump also needs to be more careful with his comments, as it’s becoming obvious that the intelligence community will not provide cover for unsubstantiated claims.
Brian Brinker is an OpsLens Contributor and political consultant. Brinker has an M.A in Global Affairs from American University.
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