Peter Strzok, one of the FBI’s Russia experts fired by Trump. (C-SPAN)

President Donald Trump holds the unique position of being a president who’s at war with much of his populace. He’s terrorizing people of color with his anti-immigrant rhetoric and coddling of white nationalists. His followers have physically assaulted the press and he’s even at war with the objective truth because of his never-ending lies and constant gaslighting. And by now, it’s pretty obvious he’s at war with the intelligence services, especially the FBI.

Trump’s full-scale assault on the FBI has included:

Firing FBI Director James Comey. He later invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to the White House and told them he had done this to end the Russian probe — as if he was reporting to them. Trump also repeated this to NBC’s Lester Holt. If it wasn’t enough to fire Comey, Trump later trashed him by calling him a leaker and announcing the termination when Comey was in Los Angeles. Comey found out he was fired from a TV news report. Trump also complained that Comey was undermining the FBI. This was rejected by former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe.

McCabe was fired after FBI officials accused him of not being honest in his dealings with the press. McCabe formerly investigated Russian organized crime and also recommended launching a counterintelligence investigation into Trump. Trump has insulted McCabe’s wife and trashed his career. He even called him a “poor man’s J. Edgar Hoover.” And in a particularly spiteful act, McCabe was fired a few days from his retirement.

So that’s at least four FBI and Justice Department officers, who specialize in Russia, removed from their jobs. That’s quite convenient for someone who’s currently under investigation for his ties with Russia. If that’s not evidence Trump’s playing for the other team, I don’t know what is.

Peter Strzok, the FBI’s leading Russia counterintelligence expert, was also fired. Trump continues to trash Strzok and his lover, Lisa Page, because of the negative messages they exchanged about him during the 2016 election. Strzok’s 22-year career was ended even though Candice Will, head of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, recommended a demotion and 60-day suspension.

Bruce Ohr, a senior Justice Department official, was demoted in 2018. His specialty was Russian organized crime. Ohr was the FBI’s contact with Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence officer who produced the dossier warning of Trump’s links to Russia. Trump and other Republicans accused him of being “biased,” even though much of Steele’s information has proven to be accurate. Trump also called him a disgrace and threatened to revoke his security clearance.

So that’s at least four FBI and Justice Department officers, who specialize in Russia, removed from their jobs. That’s quite convenient for someone who’s currently under investigation for his ties with Russia. If that’s not evidence Trump’s playing for the other team, I don’t know what is.

When a senior worker leaves an office, decades of experience go with him. Trump has removed people who have more than 100 years of experience in organized crime and Russian counterintelligence operations. Fortunately, both McCabe and Comey kept copious notes on their interactions with Trump. McCabe says he forwarded his memos to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, so he may end up getting the last laugh.

Trump’s purge of senior intelligence officials only makes him look guilty. His firings are a clear sign that he removes people who get too close to the Russia investigation, says Patrick Cotter, a former U.S. attorney.

“If you contribute to, participate in, support the Russia probe and I find out about it, I’m going to punish you,” said Cotter, according to an AP story.

Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, added: “What it shows is that the president is fixated on the Russia investigation, he’s angry about it, and he wants to do everything he can to discourage or slow down the investigation.”

These are not the actions of an innocent man. This is how a person with something to hide acts.