Morning Joe says FBI close to exposing the president: ‘It’s a criminal issue'

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough believes President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey because he sensed the investigation was getting close to revealing whatever criminal actions he’s trying to hide.

The “Morning Joe” host compared the situation to the Showtime series “Billions,” which depicts a U.S. attorney pursuing a hedge fund billionaire named Bobby Axelrod, and he said the FBI had found strong evidence against Trump and his associates.

“The FBI has started pulling that string, and they are still pulling that string where it leads is not just an election issue, it is a criminal issue — and Trump knows that,” Scarborough said.

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Fletch said:

Scarborough spends too much time with Mika and the other liberals on his set and the network. If Comey was close to nailing Trump as Scarborough claims, then Trump will be nailed regardless of who leads the FBI. Why? Because Comeys firing will do nothing to stop or even slow the investigation. Unfortunately, Scarborough is just another boob who has fallen for the Trump/Russian Conspiracy theory.

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Winston said:

I don't always agree with Scarborough. He tries to walk that I'm an independent with real conservative values line.. for the most part from what I've seen he is successful. But, I am by no means a regular viewer. I get most of my news in print and online.

Having said that, something that jumps out to me.. and is obvious as day...

GOPs were all for how many Benghazi investigations. Even when they were a waste of tax-payer money. But, now that the investigations are pointed at their golden boy, we hear endless excuses about why this is a "witch hunt" and "unfounded allegations".

Sucks when the shoe's on the other foot, doesn't it. Just because you believe HRC was "above the law" doesn't allow Trump to run amok, especially if you want our democracy to survive his term.

Scarborough sees Trump for what he is. Why can't the rest of you?

Morning Joe says FBI close to exposing the president: ‘It’s a criminal issue — and Trump knows that’

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Winston said:

I don't always agree with Scarborough. He tries to walk that I'm an independent with real conservative values line.. for the most part from what I've seen he is successful. But, I am by no means a regular viewer. I get most of my news in print and online.

Having said that, something that jumps out to me.. and is obvious as day...

GOPs were all for how many Benghazi investigations. Even when they were a waste of tax-payer money. But, now that the investigations are pointed at their golden boy, we hear endless excuses about why this is a "witch hunt" and "unfounded allegations".

Sucks when the shoe's on the other foot, doesn't it. Just because you believe HRC was "above the law" doesn't allow Trump to run amok, especially if you want our democracy to survive his term.

Scarborough sees Trump for what he is. Why can't the rest of you?

Morning Joe says FBI close to exposing the president: ‘It’s a criminal issue — and Trump knows that’

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Rexedgar said:

Mika adds nothing, but an occasional annoying 'chirp.' She is as off-putting as Stephen Colbert's drummer/band leader that way too many times adds his 2 cents to the monologue.

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Winston said:

I don't always agree with Scarborough. He tries to walk that I'm an independent with real conservative values line.. for the most part from what I've seen he is successful. But, I am by no means a regular viewer. I get most of my news in print and online.

Having said that, something that jumps out to me.. and is obvious as day...

GOPs were all for how many Benghazi investigations. Even when they were a waste of tax-payer money. But, now that the investigations are pointed at their golden boy, we hear endless excuses about why this is a "witch hunt" and "unfounded allegations".

Sucks when the shoe's on the other foot, doesn't it. Just because you believe HRC was "above the law" doesn't allow Trump to run amok, especially if you want our democracy to survive his term.

Scarborough sees Trump for what he is. Why can't the rest of you?

Morning Joe says FBI close to exposing the president: ‘It’s a criminal issue — and Trump knows that’

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Winston said:

I disagree. I think Joe drowns her out and doesn't give her an equal chance for commentary.

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ludin said:

lol rawstory.
:lamo

you guys keep dreaming don't you.

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JamesBY said:

Scarborough is the real deal: honest, conservative with conscience, not intimidated by the far right or alt right or alt left.

He tells it as it is. He was for Jeb, which drove this Kasich supporter crazy, but I could accept that he was being honest to his values.

Joe is saying that Trump is on the high wire, and criminal issues are going to push him off without a safety net.

I believe him.

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Winston said:

I don't always agree with Scarborough. He tries to walk that I'm an independent with real conservative values line.. for the most part from what I've seen he is successful. But, I am by no means a regular viewer. I get most of my news in print and online.

Having said that, something that jumps out to me.. and is obvious as day...

GOPs were all for how many Benghazi investigations. Even when they were a waste of tax-payer money. But, now that the investigations are pointed at their golden boy, we hear endless excuses about why this is a "witch hunt" and "unfounded allegations".

Sucks when the shoe's on the other foot, doesn't it. Just because you believe HRC was "above the law" doesn't allow Trump to run amok, especially if you want our democracy to survive his term.

Scarborough sees Trump for what he is. Why can't the rest of you?

Morning Joe says FBI close to exposing the president: ‘It’s a criminal issue — and Trump knows that’

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Winston said:

Are you insinuating that Scarborough didn't say those things on air?

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Winston said:

I don't always agree with Scarborough. He tries to walk that I'm an independent with real conservative values line.. for the most part from what I've seen he is successful. But, I am by no means a regular viewer. I get most of my news in print and online.

Having said that, something that jumps out to me.. and is obvious as day...

GOPs were all for how many Benghazi investigations. Even when they were a waste of tax-payer money. But, now that the investigations are pointed at their golden boy, we hear endless excuses about why this is a "witch hunt" and "unfounded allegations".

Sucks when the shoe's on the other foot, doesn't it. Just because you believe HRC was "above the law" doesn't allow Trump to run amok, especially if you want our democracy to survive his term.

Scarborough sees Trump for what he is. Why can't the rest of you?

Morning Joe says FBI close to exposing the president: ‘It’s a criminal issue — and Trump knows that’

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Perotista said:

If one is familiar with covert operations, Benghazi was it. A covert operation gone bad. The video was just a cover story, a convenient one that just happened to poke its head up at the same time. The cover story was blown out of the water, but no one really wanted to dig into or find out or let on the covert nature of Benghazi. Pure and simple, at least in my mind.

Sometimes it is better for any administration to fess up. Eisenhower did it with the U-2, a weather plane strayed off its course which was believed for a couple of days was also blown out of the water. Fessing up ended the U-2 controversy. Jimmy Carter with Desert 1, he fessed up and actually gained in popularity because he had at least tried something. He didn't try to hide it. Reagan with Iran-Contra waited months to fess up and that wait almost caused him his presidency. But once he did, all was forgiven, at least with most Americans.


I'm not sure what the above has to do with Trump. But I would imagine as a billionaire who has done business in Russia, he does have Russian ties. That should be expected. Trump isn't or wasn't a politician with just a neat little stock portfolio to be hidden in a blind trust. Trump has business interests. Worldwide business interests. A financial empire so to speak, at least a business empire. Just fess up, state I had business dealings in Russia with so and so, plus so and so. That he has had ties to Russia and perhaps the way Russia operates, with the Russian government also. But that it was all purely business.

Most Americans would buy that, not die hard Democrats, but that is to be expected. That is if that is all he is trying to hide. Who knows at this point? But speculation will each away at the Trump presidency, fess up, come forth, cleanse thyself. Then move on.

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ludin said:

we already know he had business dealings with Russia it wasn't a big deal.

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Perotista said:

If one is familiar with covert operations, Benghazi was it. A covert operation gone bad. The video was just a cover story, a convenient one that just happened to poke its head up at the same time. The cover story was blown out of the water, but no one really wanted to dig into or find out or let on the covert nature of Benghazi. Pure and simple, at least in my mind.

Sometimes it is better for any administration to fess up. Eisenhower did it with the U-2, a weather plane strayed off its course which was believed for a couple of days was also blown out of the water. Fessing up ended the U-2 controversy. Jimmy Carter with Desert 1, he fessed up and actually gained in popularity because he had at least tried something. He didn't try to hide it. Reagan with Iran-Contra waited months to fess up and that wait almost caused him his presidency. But once he did, all was forgiven, at least with most Americans.


I'm not sure what the above has to do with Trump. But I would imagine as a billionaire who has done business in Russia, he does have Russian ties. That should be expected. Trump isn't or wasn't a politician with just a neat little stock portfolio to be hidden in a blind trust. Trump has business interests. Worldwide business interests. A financial empire so to speak, at least a business empire. Just fess up, state I had business dealings in Russia with so and so, plus so and so. That he has had ties to Russia and perhaps the way Russia operates, with the Russian government also. But that it was all purely business.

Most Americans would buy that, not die hard Democrats, but that is to be expected. That is if that is all he is trying to hide. Who knows at this point? But speculation will each away at the Trump presidency, fess up, come forth, cleanse thyself. Then move on.

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Perotista said:

Do most Americans?

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Winston said:

My comparison is not of the motivation for investigations, but, the mentality of the GOPs. GOPs went after Clinton, mercilessly, and now they want to obstruct justice while crying foul. "Witch hunt" has been tossed around lightly. In my view, Trump did a horrible thing. I trusted James Comey to be an independent investigative body and I look at his departure as a loss to America. My opinion is supported by McCabe's own admission that people in the FBI had a "deep and positive connection" with James Comey.

Did you read Comey's letter on the way out?

Letter of a man wrongfully terminated against the interest of national security and the department he oversaw. Sad day.

Anyway, Trump has to go. Whether or not he actually colluded with Russia, or is compromised by Russia, is irrelevant. The American discourse will never salvage itself. IF you believe the country is more imporant than the politics of Trump, then Trump has to go. Russia is clearly winning with Trump. Americans distrust the media, distrust the intelligence community, distrust everything. Everything is subject to a "fake news" label. It's getting to be untenable. Americans argue about basic reality. There is no unity. With Trump in office, the question will always linger whether or not Russia has meddled with our democracy. Trump's incompetence led him here. If Trump didn't act so guilty by refusing to release his tax returns, truly putting assets in a blind trust, and now firing Comey, and switching stories about why Comey was fired, with explanations running directly contrary to FBI opinion.. The entire thing is a mess. America will never recover honor and truth in our discourse with Trump in office.

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Zyphlin said:

I'm curious to know if this is just Joe speculating or if he's got sources.

I don't quite get the bit of logic, having experience in a federal law enforcement agency in the past. The reality is that the Director is basically never the guy that's actually going to be heading up an investigation. What's more, the removal of a Director is never really going to cease the ongoing investigations and actions already happening. Their an important part of the whole, but they're still a cog in the wheel. What's more, typically, you're Director level guys are actually FAR less involved with the actual operational side of things. In most instances I've dealt with, the Director is the more politically/front facing individual...the guy working with external sources / the parent agency/department / congress. The deputy is usually the one more directly focused on the day to day operational side of things.

If the notion is "he fired Comey to try and send a message to anyone else investigating it that they better stop or they'll be fired", then I can see at least some degree of why you want to connect those dots. However, for me that doesn't make a ton of sense. For one, Comey was already taking a pretty neutral to soft stance on the investigation in terms to it's relationship with Trump. For two, if this was done for the reasons people suggest (that Comey got "close" to something), then given the extremely negative stance towards Trump that exists on both sides right now, it's hard to imagine such a thing actually FEELING threatening. Another quick firing would likely just cause Trump MORE trouble, so by firing Comey it'd actually give a level of cover for the next guy to push in deeper. The "message" scenario just doesn't make sense.

So then it's the "To stop the investigation" scenario; but that makes even less sense. The investigation did not likely even hit a speed bump with Comey gone. Undoubtably there's an actual INVESTIGATOR that is tasked with actually leading up the investigation, likely multiple on the various different facets of it. It's not like the leadership of the agency is in disarray; there's routinely practiced and planned contingencies in place for a Director being gone. The deputy steps in, a lower assistance assumes the deputy position temporarily, and things just continue to progress. Firing Comey would do nothing to actually STOP the investigation.

The only way that would possibly make sense would be the idea that Trump would put someone into the FBI Director position that would then stop the investigation themselves. But again, if that was the purpose, it would have made sense to do that from the onset (when the heat on Comey from the left was more fervent anyways) as opposed to now.

It's abundantly possible that the Russian connections somehow, someway, actually tie back in a legitimate and convincing fashion to collusion between Trump and the Russians. I don't think it's likely, but it's feasible. However, I don't really see the Comey firing as having any real impact, or providing any real insight, into how that investigation is being conducted or how it concludes.

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