FBI Director Christopher Wray
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger / Getty Images / Bloomberg
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger / Getty Images / Bloomberg
Donald Trump’s aides advised him not to fire FBI Director Chris Wray after the election because an acting director – or President-elect Joe Biden’s replacement – could be even more hostile to the president, according to people familiar with the matter. and his agenda.
Trump has become wary of Wray, believing that the FBI director should have more aggressively investigated the president’s political opponents, including Biden and his family, before November’s election.
NBC News reported Wednesday that the White House office advised Trump that firing Wray could potentially put him in legal jeopardy, raising questions about possible obstruction of justice, similar to the controversy that followed the former FBI director’s firing James Comey in 2017.
But Trump was ultimately influenced by arguments from other advisers that the political ramifications of firing Wray would be worse than keeping him in his place, according to several people familiar with the talks. They asked not to be identified, as Trump never publicly acknowledged that he was considering firing the current FBI director.
Trump was told that Wray’s deputies – who would take charge of the agency after his resignation – were unlikely to reverse the course of law enforcement decisions that had frustrated the president. The current Deputy Director of the FBI, David Bowdich, is a 25-year veteran of the agency.
In addition, the aides argued, Biden could appoint a new FBI director, someone who might be politically loyal to the new president and hostile to Trump or less willing to conduct investigations that could potentially harm Democrats.
Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, announced this month that his overseas business activities and related tax matters are under investigation by federal law enforcement agencies. Biden said on Wednesday that he is sure his son has done nothing wrong.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Attorney General William Barr was aware of the Hunter Biden investigation earlier this year, but acted to prevent its disclosure before the election. Trump has expressed frustration with that decision, and Barr announced on Monday that he will leave the administration on Dec. 23.
Some of the president’s allies are concerned that the Biden administration will investigate the president and his family, although the president-elect has said this is not his priority. Trump has said he is not concerned, but he has nevertheless held a series of meetings and talks about possible pardons during his last days in office, including the option of granting preemptive leniency to his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.
Trump has also discussed pardons for his three oldest children, the Reported the New York Times.
Wray was one of several officials Trump considered shooting in the wake of his defeat in reelection. The president and his advisers also discussed the possible resignation of CIA director Gina Haspel and Barr.
Trump went on to fire Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, firing Department of Homeland Security cyber chief Chris Krebs, after Krebs publicly stated that the election was safe, denouncing the president’s attempt to defraud the outcome as fraudulent. painting was undermined.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the president’s personal discussions.