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Comey’s firing catches lawmakers by surprise

Many in Congress expressed shock on Twitter following the news that President Trump had fired FBI Director James Comey.

Photo of Andrew Wyrich

Andrew Wyrich

James Comey FBI Justice Department

Politicians are reacting to the surprise news on Tuesday evening that President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

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To put it simply, many in Congress were stunned. Democrats in both the House of Representatives and Senate quickly voiced their concerns:

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said that Comey should “immediately” be called to testify about the status of the investigation into Trump’s campaign ties with Russia.

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Meanwhile Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)—Hillary Clinton’s vice-presidential nominee in the 2016 election—seemed to think the firing showed some unsettled nerves in the Trump administration.

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Rep. Jerry Nadler (N.Y.-10) said the reasoning behind Comey’s firing was clear.

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Similarly Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.-15) seemed to think the firing meant something more than just not agreeing with the FBI’s leadership under Comey.

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In a video, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said there was an “urgent need” for an independent special counsel to look into Russian interference into the election.

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Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.-9) said the firing reminded him of President Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre.”

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Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) also called it “Nixonian.”

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Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said that soon “patriotic” Republicans will need to “stand up for our republic.”

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Rep. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.-25) called the firing “alarming” and “unprecedented.”

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Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.-12) said the firing was “extremely suspicious.”

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement:

“President Trump called me at 5:30 p.m. and indicated he would be removing Director Comey, saying the FBI needed a change. The next FBI director must be strong and independent and will receive a fair hearing in the Judiciary Committee.”

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https://twitter.com/timkmak/status/862067692601319425

As for Republicans, as of 6:55pm ET, only one Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee had tweeted about the firing.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) seemed to be looking toward the future following Tuesday’s news.

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The Daily Dot