For weeks, Democrats had been demanding that President Donald Trump fire FBI Director James Comey, and then after he did it, they accuse him of staging a 21st century “Saturday Night Massacre.”
The “Saturday Night Massacre” was the name given to President Richard Nixon’s decision to fire independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, which prompted the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. It was the final tipping point that led to the first articles of impeachment being circulated against the president, who resigned nearly a year later.
Today, Democrats are calling President Trump’s decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey—who was terminated for cause after apparently stating on three separate occasions that the president wasn’t the target of any investigation—was “Nixonian.” Just in the past 24 hours, that word has been used 180 times in news reports quoting congressional Democrats.
The Richard Nixon Library weighed in, noting that President Nixon never fired an FBI director. Of course, you don’t have to go back that far in American history to find a president who did. That distinction would belong to a Democrat, not a Republican:
President Bill Clinton.
Clinton fired then-FBI Director William Sessions after he refused to step down following a Department of Justice report suggested he had abused the privileges of his office. That investigation, however, was launched by the George H.W. Bush administration in what many consider to have been retaliation for an investigation the FBI launched into alleged bank fraud involving loans to Iraq prior to the First Gulf War.
Despite stating he had done nothing wrong, Sessions had already resigned a few days before he was fired, but insisted on staying in the job until his replacement was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in. Neither Democrats nor Republicans complained about the move.
Sessions had previously served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas and as a district court judge in the same district. He was chief judge of the district for seven years prior to his appointment as FBI director.
He is the father of U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who is the chairman of the House Rules Committee. {eoa}
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