James Comey

James Comey is Deluded About Trump's Influence on Republicans

by Julian Zelizer

The former FBI director blamed Trump for the growing Republican hostility toward the FBI, among other government institutions. But the belief that major institutions are compromised by un-American elements has a long and deep history on the right that won't be eliminated whenever Trump happens to leave the political stage. 

Can Books by a Fired High Official Like James Comey Damage a President?

by Bruce W. Dearstyne

It’s happened before. The president? Andrew Jackson, Trump’s favorite.

Ex-Watergate prosecutor on Trump: I can make a case for obstruction of justice

Jill Wine-Banks told MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes" that she believes she could bring a successful case against Trump, adding that there is "so much evidence" that Trump meant to obstruct the investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia by firing Comey.

A bold new legal defense for Trump: Presidents cannot obstruct justice

Trump’s personal lawyer John Dowd sought to excuse the president’s tweet in part by telling Axios and NBC News on Monday that the “president cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under [the Constitution’s Article II] and has every right to express his view of any case.”

Brookings study concludes Trump is probably guilty of obstruction of justice for firing Comey

The study cites precedents from the Nixon and Clinton impeachments.

Comey goes medieval: 'Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?'

It's a line that Henry II, the king of England, has been quoted historically as uttering in 1170 during a years-long feud with Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket.

J Edgar Hoover’s oversteps: Why FBI directors are forbidden from getting cozy with presidents

by Douglas M. Charles

How are U.S. presidents and FBI directors supposed to communicate?

James Comey: What Historians Make of His Testimony

Tweets and retweets of historians commenting on the former FBI director's testimony. 

Comey isn’t the first FBI director to keep memos on a president

by Douglas M. Charles

The FBI’s history shows such documentation can be essential to how FBI directors operate, and how they can insulate or protect the FBI’s integrity.

Is the Comey Memo the Beginning of the End for Trump?

by David Remnick

Given Donald Trump’s long record of deception, James Comey’s memos are far more likely to bury the President than to exonerate him.

Trump’s co-author on “The Art of the Deal” says he’s not surprised Trump tried to silence James Comey

by Tony Schwartz

"Trump’s sense of self-worth is forever at risk. When he feels aggrieved, he reacts impulsively and defensively."

Did You Know? U.S. Presidents Have Secretly Recorded Conversations Since 1940

by Alexander B. Magoun

Unauthorized recordings provide insight into the history of presidential leadership.

Even The Biggest Scandals Can’t Kill Party Loyalty

The idea that at some point party loyalty goes out the window and politicians become nonpartisan statesmen doesn’t hold up historically.

I’m Sticking with My President

by Rick Perlstein

What has changed since Nixon’s day?

This is why Richard Nixon taped his White House conversations

Nixon wasn’t the only president to record his conversations.

When a Cover-Up Isn’t Secret, Did It Happen?

by Taegan Goddard

Unlike Nixon, Trump seems to be covering-up his "crimes" in broad daylight.

Q&A with historian Beverly Gage about the history of conflicts between FBI directors and the executive branch

Does James Comey's Firing Have a Historical Precedent?

Julian Zelizer & Morton Keller Debate: Is the Watergate-Comey Comparison Simply a Way to Score Partisan Points?

What they make of the dismissal of James Comes.

Not Watergate, Not Yet

by James Warren

"Nixon's 'Saturday Night Massacre' was clearly a sinister act and effort to kill an investigation. What is not clear is whether Trump has botched this or it is a sinister act."

Flashback to F.B.I. Chief’s ’93 Firing, and to Saturday Night Massacre

It doesn’t happen often, but for the second time in the F.B.I.’s 109-year-history, its director has been fired.