Donald Trump’s purge takes an even uglier turn

| 12:12 pm EDT August 14, 2018
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In March 2018, just days before his retirement, FBI agent Andrew McCabe, who had been a target of President Donald J. Trump’s FBI scorn, was fired. The purported reason for the firing was that McCabe had failed to be forthcoming about a conversation that he permitted or authorized between FBI officials and a journalist. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a statement noted that McCabe had lacked candor while under oath. Now we are learning that Peter Strzok, another FBI agent, has been fired.

The FBI person who handles discipline for FBI employees had originally recommended a demotion and 60-day suspension. While the FBI would be responsible for discipline and employment issues, Trump is taking an expansive view of his executive powers. Shortly after the announcement, Trump tweeted: “Agent Peter Strzok was just fired from the FBI – finally. The list of bad players in the FBI & DOJ gets longer & longer. Based on the fact that Strzok was in charge of the Witch Hunt, will it be dropped? It is a total Hoax. No Collusion, No Obstruction – I just fight back!”

Trump quickly followed that tweet up with a second tweet: “Just fired Agent Strzok, formerly of the FBI, was in charge of the Crooked Hillary Clinton sham investigation. It was a total fraud on the American public and should be properly redone!”

We don’t know why the FBI changed the discipline of Strzok, who had engaged in some anti-Trump tweets. Strzok’s lawyer, Aitan Goelman, stated, “This isn’t the normal process in any way more than name. This decision should be deeply troubling to all Americans.”

What is of particular note with the Trump tweet is his comment, “I just fight back!” Trump once again is projecting an approach of obstruction of justice- firing anyone who does not care for him, says anything negative, and calling into question who did the firing or on whose orders said firing of Strzok occurred. Hopefully, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is keeping a list of each count of obstruction that Trump engages in- and, as Goelman states, we should be very troubled by what is happening. We have a situation that appears to be a second McCarthyesque “Red Scare”- except Trump’s version is to ferret out anyone who might lead to his impeachment or indictment.