Called General Ashcroft News Today

Real ammunition he needed to pull the trigger on this thing. >> martha: thank you very much. i want to bring in catherine herridge who is standing by with some new reporting on all of this. chief intelligence correspondent during this now. >> ive spoken to nearly half a dozen former fbi officials who told me that people at the bureau and headquarters here in washington were essentially blindsided by this decision and there was nothing this afternoon that was being telegraphed within the fbi that...

Commentators question the legitimacy of his victory. >> i didnt take that comment at all like that. i felt like he was saying the idea because he felt so strongly that the fbi should not have any influence and he knew that there has been so many roller coaster moves that made people feel that way that that was what made him nauseous. i dont think he was suggesting the trump presidency made him feel that way in. >> i dont think he was either. i think instead of saying i dont think i had in the im...

People look at rod rosenstein or whoever else is involved in this and their explanation of what they go forward with, let the chips fall where they are but will they have confidence at the right thing was done? we dont know that today. the pressures on a lot of people and rod rosenstein, acting director of the fbi and whoever the president chooses to be the permanent director, lots of pressure in all three of those individuals. >> martha: as he said, made a very difficult choice today, one that ...

Thompson, former attorney general, alberto gonzales, former attorney general eric holder, former clinton justice official about how he had violated these fundamental rules and of course, rosenstein did his review, did his due diligence, presented the president and the president acted. for chuck schumer to have opposed and said i have no confidence in october and comey and today be trying to find some deep dark cover-up, i thought that was a smear and a libel that was unbelievable. >> martha: but...

Discussion and pressure that thats why the president fired him. >> i dont know what jim comey has told him but from press reports, the deputy director who i hope it does not the acting director apparently according to news reports i guess their true. ive never heard otherwise. the deputy director told the chief of staff at the white house month and months ago "this whole thing about russia is a bunch of b.s.." whats going on here? i dont know. it defies logic. >> martha: chuck schumer, senator s...

An independent special prosecutor is appointed, there still could be some faith that we could get to the bottom of this. if not, everyone will suspect coverups. >> center schumer, it only lasted before the election that you talk to jim comey. do you think that the presidents explanation is the reason why his firing him now has credibility for you to believe that what you think his firing him for another reason? >> i never called on the president to fire director come comey. i have a lot of quest...

Been gunning for comey for a long time. but really couldnt take any action even as president because comeys immediate boss at the department of justice was not in place and he had to wait until you got his boss in place and you had to wait until you had a boss with the integrity and the support on both sides of the aisle because he was confirmed and 4-6 to pull the trigger and get rid of comey. so if i were a betting man, id say this goes back a long way prior to april the 25th. >> martha: fasci...

Dramatic nature of this and it goes back in part to what maria was saying about the timing. "the new york times" is reporting that jim comey was in place in los angeles already. he was a big recruiting event. there were tvs in the back of the room, and he learned of his firing when the news started flashing across the screen. so thats a pretty awkward and uncomfortable moment that transpired that we have the firing out of these letters coming from the white house. we know that sean spicer sort o...

On july 2016, speaking of loretta lynch here and announced his conclusion that the case should be closed without prosecution. in this kind of speech to what happened last week because this is when he came out and said look, when i saw that meeting on the tarmac between president clinton, former president clinton and loretta lynch, i felt i had to act. the deputy attorney general says the director now defends his decision by asserting that he believed attorney general brad lynch had a conflict. b...

Lets bring in our panel. well go to very hard right now and dana lash. welcome to both of you. murray, let me start with you. whats your reaction to this news? >> martha, i think im still a little in shock. i am truly stunned by this and ive never been a fan of jim comey as you know. i think this was pretty outrageous and im not sure i buy the argument that the trump administration was so concerned about how secretary clinton was treated by jim calmly. im not sure that passes the smell test. but...