The Evasive Mr. Wray

The FBI director knows a lot about issues that matter to the Biden regime and the media. But he isn’t so savvy when it comes to issues that matter to Americans.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time since July 2021, insisted he had to leave the hearing by 1:30 p.m. sharp. (It began at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday morning.)

Despite leading a scandal-ridden agency quickly losing the trust of the American people and congressional Republicans, Wray somehow believes that setting aside less than four hours to answer questions by lawmakers responsible for checking and balancing his work is sufficient.

“I had a flight that I’m supposed to be high-tailing it to, and I had understood that we were going to be done at 1:30, so that’s how we ended up where we are,” Wray told Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member who asked why the rush. If Wray needed to leave on business, Grassley noted, “you’ve got your own plane,” referring to the taxpayer-funded Gulfstream G550 jet used to ferry the head of the FBI around the country privately.

Wray got his way—the committee wrapped shortly after 1:30 p.m. with no chance for Republicans to ask follow-up questions. It was a symbolic win and another example of how Wray almost always prevails in skirmishes between his agency and members of Congress.

To be fair, an extended appearance only would have resulted in more non-answers and political spin.

Wray, appointed by Donald Trump in 2018, knows a lot about issues that matter to the Biden regime and national news media, such as the imaginary threat of “domestic violent extremists.” But he isn’t so savvy when it comes to issues that matter to Americans, such as a wide-open southern border, exploding crime rates, an aggressive China on the rise, and foreign terrorists who arrived here in the disorderly evacuation of Afghanistan.

Once again, Wray designated the events of January 6 an act of domestic terrorism, bragging that FBI agents so far have arrested and charged more than 850 Americans for their involvement in the mostly nonviolent disturbance that happened over 18 months ago.

“In January, we marked the one-year anniversary of the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol, which has led to unprecedented efforts by the Department of Justice, including the FBI, to investigate and hold accountable all who engaged in violence, destruction of property, and other criminal activity on that day,” Wray said in his written statement.

While Wray was eager to boast about his relentless pursuit of Capitol trespassers, he was less than straightforward—one might say he stonewalled—on other issues.

Pressed several times to condemn the situation at the border as a national security threat, Wray repeatedly demurred. The record number of citizens from more than 150 countries who’ve crossed the border is “an eclectic mix of nationalities, and the volume is just staggering,” Wray told Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), a crafty way of portraying the unprecedented and criminal influx of migrants from around the world.

Wray gave the same watered-down response when Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) asked if the border was a national security threat, instead referring to the situation as a “security issue.”

Wray was similarly evasive when Blackburn asked if Wray believed the Trump-Russia election collusion claims were a “hoax.” “That’s not a term I would use,” Wray replied. Details on the whereabouts of Hunter Biden’s laptop or an explanation as to why his agency warned any reporting on the contents of the device was part of a Russian “disinformation” operation also were off-limits.

Wray had no explanation as to why his department is not enforcing a federal law that protects federal judges; since May, leftwing activist groups have targeted the houses and children of conservative Supreme Court justices after the media published a draft of the Dobbs ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. Protesters have demonstrated outside the personal residences of both Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. A California man was charged with attempted murder after he was arrested in June outside Kavanaugh’s Maryland home.

That arrest, however, appears to be the only criminal charge associated with a coordinated campaign to intimidate and shame conservative Supreme Court justices, including one group that offers “bounties” for confirmed sightings of conservative justices so they can be harassed in public. So why the foot-dragging?

“Our agents—are up to their necks in enforcing all sorts of laws, uh, and I wish we were in a situation where every federal violation that occurred in this country was something the FBI could have the resources to investigate,” Wray told Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) when asked why the FBI had yet to charge anyone for violating the federal law that bars “picketing and parading” in front of a justice’s home.

Ironically, FBI agents have arrested and charged hundreds of Americans who protested Joe Biden’s election on January 6 on a separate “parading and picketing” offense, many of whom face jail time. Plenty of time and resources to nab selfie-taking Indiana grandmas.

But Wray seemed really flummoxed when confronted about the FBI-concocted plot to kidnap and assassinate Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a clear case of FBI entrapment conceived and executed on his watch. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) read the damning bill of particulars on the case—which included the acquittal of two men in April and mistrial of two other defendants who face a new trial next week—and the dismissal of a lead agent arrested for assaulting his wife in a drunken rage following a swingers party last summer.

Cruz also asked Wray to confirm that the special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit field office during the Whitmer kidnapping caper was then promoted to head of the D.C. FBI field office. Wray unintentionally responded with the most accurate statement of the entire hearing: “That doesn’t seem right to me,” Wray said.

No, it doesn’t seem right, but it is true. Shortly after several men were arrested in the kidnapping scheme in October 2020, Steven D’Antuono was moved to Washington—just a few months before the Capitol protest.

Cruz: “So the guy in charge got promoted and is now in charge of the January 6th investigation?

Wray: “The guy in charge of the whole Detroit field office is now in charge of the whole Washington field office.”

Wray might not want to talk, but whistleblowers inside his department are finally speaking out. Disgruntled agents fed up with the FBI’s politicking and bad reputation have reached out to Grassley and U.S. Representative James Jordan (R-Ohio) in recent months, with more likely to come.

As Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), after reading a series of anti-Trump social media engagements posted by a senior FBI official, warned Wray, “you’re killing yourself with this stuff.”

Republicans pulled plenty of punches on Thursday, but they landed some, too. Wray’s quick exit act, however, cannot be tolerated any longer. Mounting scandals and public safety threats endanger the country, not merely the reputation of the FBI.

“Trump had many people making personnel recommendations to him that were really trying to undermine him.”

Trump was ultimately the decision maker. He chose who he would listen to for advice. He made the ultimate decisions as to whom to appoint. The number of poor personnel choices were staggering and he alone is ultimately accountable. As the sign on Harry Truman’s desk stated, “The buck stops here.”

The excuse that Mitch McConnell had veto power over his choices, and therefore Trump was unable to put his own choices in place is laughable.

1) Trump never took McConnell to the mat on a personnel pick. During his term as President, Trump was overwhelmingly popular with the Republican base. If Trump wanted someone different than Wray for FBI director, and McConnell was telling him no, Trump could have called McConnell into his office and told him privately he was nominating his own person for the job. If McConnell opposed him he would take his case to the American people and would publicly oppose McConnell for reelection in 2020. There is no evidence Trump ever went to the mat with McConnell.

2) Trump’s choice of his own personal attorney (Michael Cohn) was not influenced by McConnell as it was made long before Trump took office. Cohn stabbed him in the back, violating attorney client privilege. That choice was Trump’s alone.

3) Trump chose Chris Christie (without McConnell weighing in) during the 2016 to be his transition chief in the event he won the election. The most important job of the transition chief is to identify, vet and have ready for Senate approval the key executive appointments so the administration can be fully staffed and operating on election day. Christie didn’t do his job. The day after the election Trump had to scramble to find and interview potential cabinet members. It has been reported he met for only an hour with some of the cabinet appointees he didn’t know such as Rex Tillerson (his first secretary of state and one of his failures). Trump owns the appointment of Christie as his transition chief and the resulting failure to have a fully staffed administration ready to take office on inauguration day.

4) One of the most critical roles, if not the most critical role, in the Executive Office of the President is White House Chief of Staff. The appointee does not require Senate approval and therefore is 100% the choice of the President. Trump’s first two White House Chiefs of Staff were Reince Priebus and John Kelly, both failures. Mitch McConnell could not control who Trump selected for the job.

5) It has been widely reported Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner were instrumental in many of Trump’s selections for appointed positions. Trump brought them to the White House as senior advisors. Bringing them to Washington, and relying on their advise, was 100% Trump’s decision and he is solely accountable. McConnell did not vet or approve the choice of Ivanka and Jared. It was Trump’s decision alone.

Great leaders assemble a great team to execute the leader’s vision. The team works effectively because the leader makes wise choices and the team works together. When times are tough, the leader supports his or her team. When a team member is off track, the leader gives constructive feedback in private and puts the errant member on notice in private.

There is no evidence Trump has learned from his past failings in building a great team of professionals to execute his vision. If he doesn’t fundamentally change his approach to finding and selecting people, if elected in 2024 he will again be plagued by the same personnel issues he experienced during his first term. For those who wish to blame McConnell, it appears either McConnell or Chuck Schumer will be overseeing the Senate in 2024. If Trump can’t work around them, he will fail.

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