dude, seriously...fired!

Market Street, San Francisco

​New York Times editorial: Comey fired because of 'investigation that could bring down a president'

BY REBECCA SAVRANSKY
The Hill
​

​The New York Times in an editorial Wednesday said FBI Director James Comey was fired Tuesday because he was leading an investigation that could "bring down the president."

The editorial board said that by firing Comey, President Trump has "cast grave doubt on the viability of any further investigation into what could be one of the biggest political scandals in the country's history."

The editors dismissed the president's explanation for the firing and pointed to his past praise of the former FBI director.

"Of course, if Mr. Trump truly believed, as he said in his letter of dismissal, that Mr. Comey had undermined 'public trust and confidence' in the agency, he could just as well have fired him on his first day in office," the editorial said.

"Mr. Comey was fired because he was leading an active investigation that could bring down a president. Though compromised by his own poor judgment, Mr. Comey’s agency has been pursuing ties between the Russian government and Mr. Trump and his associates, with potentially ruinous consequences for the administration."

The Times editorial board said the FBI is conducting the only "aggressive effort" into any ties between Trump's campaign and Russia.

Now, the need for a special prosecutor is "plainer than ever," the editorial board said.