President Trump on Friday fired Intel community Inspector General Michael Atkinson. Atkinson had been long under fire for forwarding the corrupt and illegitimate report on the Ukrainian phone call that led to the impeachment hoax. The firing is long overdue.
At Saturday’s coronavirus briefing the president said of Atkinson, “He did a terrible job. Absolutely terrible… A total disgrace.” But the Democrats do not agree.
“Trump’s dead of night decision to fire ICIG Michael Atkinson is another blatant attempt to gut the independence of the Intelligence Community and retaliate against those who dare to expose presidential wrongdoing,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
“This latest act of reprisal against the Intelligence Community threatens to have a chilling effect against all willing to speak truth to power. The President must immediately cease his attacks on those who sacrifice to keep America safe, particularly during this time of national emergency,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said.
“Michael Atkinson is a man of integrity who has served our nation for almost two decades. Being fired for having the courage to speak truth to power makes him a patriot,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement.
The president responded, “As is the case with regard to other positions where I, as President, have power of appointment, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General,” the president said in the letter announcing the firing. “That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.”
The Democrats are going back to their losing impeachment script because that is all they have during this national crisis that has seen the president’s popularity soar.
They will try other tired, worn gambits. The American public isn’t listening to their propaganda. They have other things on their minds.
This piece was written by David Kamioner on April 5, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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