President Trump on Thursday cited an unusual ally to defend his decision to abruptly fire FBI Director James Comey: his longtime celebrity nemesis Rosie O’Donnell.
“We finally agree on something Rosie,” the president tweeted, linking to an all-caps “FIRE COMEY” tweet the actress and former talk show host posted last December.
O’Donnell had been reacting to further revelations about the FBI director’s surprise October message to Congress about the discovery of new emails that might be linked to the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email server.
Though the bureau said the cache of emails contained no new information, that announcement came just two days before the election.
And many of Clinton’s supporters have charged that Comey’s unusual message — and resurfacing of the issue about Clintons emails less than two weeks before the election — may have swayed voters against the Democrat.
O’Donnell has had a long-standing and very public feud with Trump, who even referenced the entertainer during two of the presidential debates.
During a GOP primary debate, Fox News anchor and debate moderator Megyn Kelly noted that the real estate mogul had “called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.” But Trump interjected, “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
He renewed his attacks on O’Donnell during a September debate with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. “Hillary is hitting me with tremendous commercials,” Trump said towards the end of the debate. “Some of it said in entertainment, some of it said by somebody who’s been very vicious to me, Rosie O’Donnell. I said very tough things to her and I think everybody would agree that she deserves it and nobody feels sorry for her.
Last December, O’Donnell apologized after posting an item on Twitter suggesting that the president’s younggest son, Barron Trump, might have autism.
“I apologize to @MELANIATRUMP – i was insensitive in my RT – i am sorry for the pain i caused – it was not my intent – i am truly sorry,” O’Donnell wrote, CBS reported.
James Comey Timeline: Events That Led to FBI Director's Firing (Photos)
For the first time since 1993, a U.S. president has fired a director of the FBI. Comey's final year as head of the Bureau before his dismissal Tuesday was wrought with controversy, as Democrats and Republicans alike criticized him for his handling of the FBI's investigations into Hillary Clinton's emails and possible connections between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia. Here's how we got to this point:
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July 2013: Disgraced former NY Congressman Anthony Weiner sees his campaign for New York mayor derailed when screenshots of explicit conversations between him and several women are leaked. His wife, Huma Abedin, who was deputy chief of staff to Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State, stands by him.
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September 2013: President Barack Obama appoints James Comey as FBI Director. Comey served as U.S. Deputy Attorney General from 2003-2005 and had worked in the intervening years at Lockheed Martin and HSBC, among other private sector jobs.
April 2015: Hillary Clinton announces her campaign for the president just weeks after The New York Times reported that she used a personal email server as Secretary of State. Abedin is named vice-chairwoman of her campaign.
July 2016: After investigating Clinton's emails, Comey announces that the FBI does not recommend charging Clinton in connection to the personal server. Two days later, Comey is questioned by a Republican-led House Committee about his recommendation.
August 2016: Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin announce their separation after reports surface that Weiner had sent explicit text messages to another woman.
September 2016: Reports surface that Weiner had sent illicit text messages to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina, prompting a federal investigation. During the investigation, authorities seize a laptop belonging to Weiner and Abedin.
Oct. 28, 2016: Comey sends a letter to Congress informing members that Abedin's laptop may contain emails linked to the Clinton investigation. Clinton calls on the FBI to release all the information they have.
Nov. 6, 2016: Comey writes another letter saying that nothing new was found on Abedin's laptop, with Newsweek reporting that most of the emails found were ones forwarded by Abedin so she could print them. Two days after Comey sends the second letter, Hillary Clinton loses the presidential election to Donald Trump.
March 2017: Comey reveals during a House Intelligence Committee hearing that the FBI is performing an investigation into possible connections between the Kremlin and members of Trump's campaign.
May 3, 2017: Comey testifies in Congress again, this time before a Senate Committee about the details of the FBI's investigation into Clinton's email server. He says that Abedin had forwarded "forwarded hundreds and thousands of emails, some of which contain classified information" to Weiner to print out of convenience.
May 9, 2017: ProPublica and the Associated Press report that Comey had exaggerated the number of emails found in the laptop and that none of the emails were classified when sent. Later that day, Comey is fired from his position by Donald Trump.
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Comey’s four-year tenure as FBI director ends 10 months after recommending Hillary Clinton not be charged for his email investigation
For the first time since 1993, a U.S. president has fired a director of the FBI. Comey's final year as head of the Bureau before his dismissal Tuesday was wrought with controversy, as Democrats and Republicans alike criticized him for his handling of the FBI's investigations into Hillary Clinton's emails and possible connections between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia. Here's how we got to this point:
Getty Images
Getty Images
