After President Trump’s tweet today attacking the current leadership of the FBI and the release of the infamous “Nunes memo” that is another aggressive attack against the FBI from Trump allies in Congress, FBI Director Christopher Wray should make it clear to the president that he will resign if Trump fires Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE or special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE.

Some have suggested, with legitimate reason, that Wray should resign in protest because the Nunes memo was released today. I understand and respect their point, but I respectfully disagree with this suggestion. There is a better way.

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FBI Director Wray should ask for a personal meeting with President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE with no other individuals present, including White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE, in the hope of avoiding a constitutional crisis that would morally and patriotically require him to resign in protest.

In the scenario proposed here, Wray would tell Trump that he wants to make it unequivocally clear that he will resign in protest if and when Trump fires Mueller or Rosenstein and that his decision is not subject to discussion.

Wray could then consider whether he should issue a one sentence public statement about his position or have his message to Trump conveyed on background to major media.

If Wray takes the “nuclear option” action I suggest here, it would be the equivalent of the Cold War nuclear strategy of mutually assured destruction, which deterred and prevented nuclear war because it guaranteed the virtual end of the world had nuclear war occurred.

I have warned in recent weeks that the Nunes memo was designed to become a pretext for Trump to first fire Rosenstein and then Mueller.

If Wray makes it unequivocally clear to Trump that he will resign in protest if Trump attempts a version of Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre, that would hopefully deter Trump from taking actions that force a constitutional crisis, bitterly divide our country and destroy his presidency.

The Nunes memo was fundamentally a desperate fraud, committed for partisan purposes, radically deceptive and dishonest in its attacks against the FBI and its misrepresentation of the FISA warrant process.

As I wrote recently, Mueller should question Rep. Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: With less than two months to go, race for the White House heats up Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington Sunday shows preview: White House, congressional Democrats unable to breach stalemate over coronavirus relief MORE (R-Calif.) and his staff about whether there was any collusion between those who issued the Nunes memo and Trump or any Trump associates involved with matters under investigation for potential crimes.

There is desperation in the air around Trump, Nunes and their defenders. There is a profound fear of potential coming indictments or plea bargains achieved by Mueller that might already have happened and remain under seal, or will happen in the near future.

There is desperation and fear in Trump circles about the prospect of Trump being questioned by Mueller and his special counsel team, which I predict Trump will never agree to, which would lead Mueller to issue subpoenas for Trump to testify before the grand jury, which, based on judicial precedents, will be approved by the courts.

The Nunes memo will have zero practical effect because it has been so widely discredited, unless Trump uses it as a pretext to fire Rosenstein and Mueller, which would either lead to impeachment in the Republican House or Republicans losing a massive number of seats in the midterm elections.

FBI Director Christopher Wray is a good and honorable leader of the FBI, which is a noble and professional organization that protects our citizens from terrorists and criminals and defends our nation from hostile powers, including Russia, that seek to destroy our democracy.

What Trump and Nunes have done is shameless and wrong and greatly damages our country.

What Wray can do by employing the nuclear option of guaranteeing he will resign if Trump fires Rosenstein or Mueller will either prevent the grave constitutional danger that is fast approaching or make it clear to Republicans in Congress that the consequences to them will be disastrous if they do not act now.

Brent Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds an LLM in international financial law from the London School of Economics.