Widespread Calls For A Special Prosecutor After Trump's Firing Of FBI Director

After President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey Tuesday in the midst of an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, members of both parties called for the appointment of a special prosecutor.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a letter recommending Comey’s dismissal that it was a result of the FBI director’s handling of a probe into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails. But even members of the president’s party weren’t buying it.

“I have long called for a special congressional committee to investigate Russia interference in the 2016 election,” Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, said in a statement after Comey’s firing.

“The president’s decision to remove the FBI director only confirms the need and the urgency of such a committee.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, called Wednesday morning for a briefing of the full Senate on Comey’s dismissal, and reiterated his support for the appointment of a special prosecutor to conduct the Russia investigation.

Trump Defends Decision On Twitter

Trump pushed back against criticism of his decision on his favored platform — Twitter Inc TWTR on Tuesday night and again on Wednesday morning.

“Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!” Trump tweeted.

The president took a social media shot at Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, saying the senator should be “investigated” for misleading statements made about his time in the Marine Corps Reserves.

During his Senate campaign, Blumenthal apologized for statements he made that he had served in Vietnam. Blumenthal was later proven to have never served overseas while in the military.

During a CNN interview that aired prior to Trump's tweets being posted Wednesday morning, Blumenthal called the basis for Comey’s firing “laughable.”

“What we have now is really a looming Constitutional crisis that is deadly serious,” he said.

Photo by Emily Elconin