In the wake of the abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey, several Democratic Congressmen are comparing President Donald Trump to another scandal-ridden leader: Richard Nixon.
Before his surprise dismissal, Comey had been leading probes into possible collusion between Trump associates and Russia during the 2016 election. To some lawmakers, his firing was reminiscent of the “Saturday Night Massacre” of 1973, when then-President Nixon unexpectedly fired Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor charged with investigating the Watergate scandal.
“President Trump’s firing of Director Comey sets a deeply alarming precedent as multiple investigations into possible Trump campaign or administration collusion with Russia remain ongoing, including an FBI investigation,” Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said in a statement. “This episode is disturbingly reminiscent of the Saturday Night Massacre during the Watergate scandal and the national turmoil that it caused.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut seemed to agree.
“Not since Watergate have our legal systems been so threatened, and our faith in the independence and integrity of those systems so shaken,” he said in a statement.
Nixon's firing of Cox deepened public distrust of the president and contributed to his eventual resignation.
Here are what Democratic lawmakers are saying about Comey's firing:
President Trump’s dismissal of FBI Director Comey smacks of President Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre.
— Martin Heinrich (@SenatorHeinrich) May 9, 2017
This is Nixonian. Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein must immediately appoint a special prosecutor to continue the Trump/Russia investigation.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 9, 2017
Cordes: "Do you agree that it was a 'Nixonian' move?"
Manchin: "I'm old enough to remember... & it didn't come out so well for Pres. Nixon." pic.twitter.com/ZHC8WfuoCD— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 9, 2017
Conyers: Trump’s Nixonian Comey Firing is a Clear Cover Up https://t.co/q5mUght0j1 pic.twitter.com/KYdngkVTjA
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) May 9, 2017
#Trump fired #Comey. Nixon fired Cox, Richardson, and Ruckelshaus. Didn’t work then, won’t work now. #SpecialCounsel
— Congressman Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) May 9, 2017
NEW: @SenJackReed tells me Trump’s abrupt firing of Comey is “very, very reminiscent” of Nixon during Watergate https://t.co/T5Mu14gwc3
— Ted Nesi (@TedNesi) May 9, 2017
It's the Saturday Night Massacre redux. (President firing the head of the agency investigating him.) #TrumpRussia #TrumpNixon #Russiagate
— Congressman Donald Norcross 🇺🇸 (@DonaldNorcross) May 9, 2017
Even the Richard Nixon Presidential Library picked up on the similarity:
FUN FACT: President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian pic.twitter.com/PatArKOZlk
— RichardNixonLibrary (@NixonLibrary) May 9, 2017