Democrat Goldman: Wray should have forced Trump to fire him

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said Thursday he thinks FBI Director Christopher Wray should not have decided to resign at the end of President Biden’s term and should have, instead, stayed on and forced President-elect Trump to fire him.

But Goldman said he thinks Wray made his decision based only on what was best for the FBI, not taking into consideration the political implications of his decision or his own interests.

“This is exactly the difference between a nonpartisan, apolitical FBI and the political world that Donald Trump inhabits. Christopher Wray wanted to do what was best for the FBI. That is not what is probably best or, I would say, what is best for the country,” Goldman said, when asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” whether Wray made a mistake by “making things easier” for Trump.

“I would have much rather that he waited and made Donald Trump actually justify firing him rather than resigning,” Goldman continued, “but because Christopher Wray cares about our justice system, cares about the rule of law, cares about the FBI, he did the best thing for the organization, not necessarily for himself.”

Wray announced Wednesday his plans to resign from the agency at the end of the Biden administration in January. Trump recently said he intends to tap Kash Patel to lead the FBI, signaling his plans to replace Wray as the bureau’s director.

Wray, whom Trump initially tapped to lead the FBI in 2017, would not otherwise finish his term until 2027.

“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” Wray said at a town hall Wednesday, announcing his decision.

Trump responded to Wray’s announcement on Wednesday by pushing for Patel’s confirmation and complaining about his legal troubles.

“We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” he wrote on Truth Social.

Goldman called Trump’s response “somewhat shocking to see ... even putting aside that he accused the FBI of impeaching him, which, of course, is only done in Congress, not with the FBI.”

“But he, of course, goes after him about the search of Mar-a-Lago,” Goldman said, noting that the search was approved by a judge who determined there was probable cause for the warrant. “So the idea that Christopher Wray went rogue and did a search warrant, of course, is belied by how our justice system works and how due process works.”

“It was a very well-deserved search, based on the facts that we read,” he said. “And Donald Trump is just bitter because it was against him.”