Donald Trump, not one to resist kicking a man when he’s down, exulted on Twitter over the firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. And for good measure, he also took a swipe at McCabe’s former boss James Comey, who the president had relieved of his duties several months ago.

In an early morning tweet on Saturday, Trump derided Comey as “sanctimonious” and corrupt, as he appeared to revel in McCabe’s firing the previous evening by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI – A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018

In another tweet later on Saturday, Trump was equally gleeful, suggesting that McCabe and Comey were part of a Democratic plot involving his vanquished opponent in the 2016 presidential race, Hillary Clinton, whom he derided in the post as “Crooked H.”

The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018

Comey, as it turns out, was having none of it.

The former FBI director fired off a terse tweet of his own later on Saturday, in which he vowed to have plenty more to say “very soon.”


“Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not,” Comey wrote.

Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not. — James Comey (@Comey) March 17, 2018

Comey is at work on a book, titled A Higher Loyalty, due to be published in the next few weeks.

The work, with the subtitle Truth, Lies and Leadership, is expected to recount details about his relationship with Trump, including events that led the president to fire him.


Comey has testified that Trump sought to get rid of him after he refused to give the president an oath of “loyalty” as a criminal investigation into Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, gathered steam.

Sessions late Friday issued the statement announcing that McCabe had been sacked, claiming that the 21-year veteran of the bureau “lacked candor — including under oath — on multiple occasions.”