Republicans Join Democrats Criticizing Donald Trump’s Decision to Fire James Comey

Congressional Republicans were shaken by the news that FBI Director James Comey was fired, as many of them sided with their Democratic colleagues in questioning the decision.

“While the President has the legal authority to remove the Director of the FBI, I am disappointed in the President’s decision to remove James Comey from office,” Sen. John McCain said in a statement, repeating his call for an special congressional committee to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr said he was “troubled by the timing and reasoning” of Trump’s decision, defending Comey on Twitter as “a public servant of the highest order.”

“His dismissal, I believe, is a loss for the Bureau and the nation,” Burr concluded. 

Late last night, Sen. Jeff Flake also expressed his concerns on Twitter.

“I’ve spent the last several hours trying to find an acceptable rationale for the timing of Comey’s firing,” he wrote. “I just can’t do it.”

Sen. Ben Sasse described the timing of Trump’s decision as “troubling,” defending Comey’s integrity.

“Jim Comey is an honorable public servant, and in the midst of a crisis of public trust that goes well beyond who you voted for in the presidential election, the loss of an honorable public servant is a loss for the nation,” he said in a statement.

Rep. Justin Amash also signaled to his Republican colleagues that he was disturbed by the decision, telling his followers on Twitter that he was “reviewing legislation to establish an independent commission on Russia.”