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ABC Suggests Trump Fired U.S. Attorneys After On-Air Urging from Sean Hannity
Newsbusters ^ | March 12, 2017 | 10:51 AM EDT | By Nicholas Fondacaro |

Posted on 03/12/2017 11:58:40 AM PDT by drewh

After of a week of the liberal media claiming President Donald Trump was being misled by conservative media, ABC’s David Wright continued the charge by insinuating the President was listening to Fox News for governing advice. “On Friday, the Attorney General asked for resignation letters from all 46 federal prosecutors who were Obama-era holdovers,” Wright reporting during Good Morning America before diving into conspiracy theories, “Sessions' decision to clean house came just one day after Trump loyalist Sean Hannity called for a purge.”

Wright played a YouTube video of Thursday’s Hannity, where the Fox News host warned that there were “Obama holdovers bureaucrats who are hell bent on destroying this president.” Hannity then declared that “Tonight, it's time for the Trump Administration to begin to purge these saboteurs before it’s too late.” Wright made the same charge during Saturday’s World News Tonight.

The bizarre insinuation came as the network was bemoaning the firing of Obama-appointed US Attorney Preet Bharara. “Not many prosecutors get the cover of Time magazine. But that's Preet Bharara in 2012 with the headline, ‘This man is busting Wall Street,’” touted Wright, “Bharara refused. ‘I didn’t resign,’ He tweeted Saturday, ‘Moments ago I was fired.’”

In contrast, during NBC’s Sunday Today, a far more grounded reason for the firing of Bharara and the US attorneys was given. “This happened under President Clinton. Attorney General Janet Reno asked those 93 attorneys to step aside,” host Willie Geist recalled as he asked MTP moderator Chuck Todd for farther analysis about why it was getting so much attention.

“I think it's only getting more attention because of Preet Bharara, to be honest,” Todd seemed to scoff. He noted that Bharara was the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is “high-profile,” and that New York Senator Chuck Schumer got Trump to agree to keep Bharara on board initially. “The relationship between Schumer and Trump has soured big time. So, I don't think Trump feels as if he has to uphold that deal anymore,” Todd explained. He also drew attention to the important roll such appointments play for political parties:

And the second, you got to remember what political parties use U.S. attorney appointments for. It is used in many cases to seed the political party of future governors, mayors, senators. U.S. attorneys are usually where your next level of political leaders come from in every new political administration when you have a change in parties likes to, sort of, reseed the U.S. attorney slots in that respect.

NBC did make a similar charge to Wright’s during Saturday’s morning show Today, but dropped the assertion come that evening’s Nightly News broadcast.

ABC’s Wright did mention that such mass firings have happened before but treated that fact as just a convenient excuse for the White House. “One big difference is that the Trump Justice Department is already embroiled in controversy,” he stated as he seemed to try and tie the firings to ongoing investigations, “Investigating Russian meddling in the election. Including allegations, Trump campaign officials may have colluded. The attorney general himself is under scrutiny.”

It’s extremely irresponsible for ABC News to spend an entire weekend peddling a report driven by conspiracy theory. It’s especially hypocritical of them after they spent the previous weekend falsely claiming Mark Levin was a “conspiracy-Loving” conservative talk radio host.

Transcript below:

<<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>>

DONATE ABC Good Morning America March 12, 2017 8:08:14 AM Eastern

DAN HARRIS: The other big story involving the Trump Administration this morning. That bizarre standoff with a prominent federal prosecutor. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara refused a request from the Justice Department that he step down and then he tweeted that he got fired. ABC’s David Wright is in Washington with more. David, good morning to you.

DAVID WRIGHT: Good morning, Dan. Even if this is the first time you're hearing his name, you definitely heard of Preet Bharara's job. This is the most prominent prosecutor in the country. It's Giuliani's old job. Or if you watch the show Billions, it's Paul Giamatti's character. If there were ever a case where the alleged crime scene were Trump Tower, this would be the guy most likely to try it.

[Cuts to video]

Not many prosecutors get the cover of Time magazine. But that's Preet Bharara in 2012 with the headline, “This man is busting Wall Street.” Back in November, the President-Elect summoned the fiercely independent prosecutor to Trump Tower and asked him to stay.

PREET BHARARA: We had a good meeting. I said I would absolutely consider staying on. I agreed to stay on. I have already spoken to Senator Sessions.

WRIGHT: Not anymore. On Friday, the Attorney General asked for resignation letters from all 46 federal prosecutors who were Obama-era holdovers. Bharara refused. “I didn’t resign,” He tweeted Saturday, “Moments ago I was fired.”

But ABC News has learned there were crossed signals. Sources say Bharara received a voice mail Thursday from the White House asking him to call back and speak with the President. No reason given. Bharara believed speaking with the President would violate DOJ protocols, so he contacted the Attorney General's office instead and told the White House, he could not speak with the President. The White House declined to comment on the phone call.

Sessions' decision to clean house came just one day after Trump loyalist Sean Hannity called for a purge.

SEAN HANNITY: For weeks, we have been warning you about the deep state Obama holdovers bureaucrats who are hell bent on destroying this president, President Trump. Tonight, it's time for the Trump Administration to begin to purge these saboteurs before it’s too late.

WRIGHT: But the White House notes plenty of other presidents [showed pictures of Clinton, Bush, and Obama] have installed their own prosecutors, too. One big difference is that the Trump Justice Department is already embroiled in controversy. Investigating Russian meddling in the election. Including allegations, Trump campaign officials may have colluded. The attorney general himself is under scrutiny.

JEFF SESSIONS: Therefore, I have recused myself in the matters that deal with the Trump campaign.

[Cuts back to live]

WRIGHT: As we say, it's not uncommon for an administration to put their own prosecutors in at the Justice Department. What is odd here, is the timing. The abrupt order on a Friday afternoon after promises were apparently given. Amidst everything else that’s going on at the Trump Justice Department. Dan?

HARRIS: Yeah Davis, a lot to talk about here. So, thank you for your reporting.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: abc; fakenews
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To: eaglestar

Busted. Boy is that telling. And so typical of the news.

They don’t report it anymore. They make it up.

Trump is right to call them liars, dishonest, and enemies. The thing is, they are so over the top aggressive, that they are waking up the Independents and moderates and wishy-washy non-committal voters.

Pretty much only the die-hard commie Lib Americas “believe” the MSM news, because they are all in wilful denial. It is great. The other 70% of Americans no longer believe a single word from the MSM and are going to fact check everything they report.

This is awesome. Thank you Mr. President.


41 posted on 03/12/2017 1:07:35 PM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (The GOP will see the light, because Trump will make them feel the heat.it is hugh and series)
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To: drewh

I’m sure AG Jeff Sessions takes his clues from Sean “buy my book” Hannity...

These people are retarded...


42 posted on 03/12/2017 1:09:00 PM PDT by Popman
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To: drewh

No, it was the bust of Winston Churchill that told him to fire him.


43 posted on 03/12/2017 1:21:12 PM PDT by coon2000 (Give me Liberty or give me death)
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To: drewh
More fact free fake news.

Heck Jeff Sessions got fired by Janet Reno and Bill Clinton, as a US Attorney, and he survived. In fact he became a US Senator. Now as our Attorney General, he has fired Obama's appointments as US Attorney.

New presidents can fire any previous appointment people after they take office.

Thanks to: xzins for the above!

44 posted on 03/12/2017 1:30:04 PM PDT by Grampa Dave ( The Revolution is not over. It will not be over until Trump is Re-Elected again in 2020!!!)
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To: ichabod1
-- W didn't do it. And then he got roasted later when he tried to fire three of them. --

Yes he did, at the start of his first term.

Use the Nominations Search Tool at the US Library of Congress to compare ...


45 posted on 03/12/2017 1:38:42 PM PDT by Cboldt
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To: FrankR

ABC uses the term, “Fired,” Politico used the term, “oust,” both negative words.

When Obama did the same thing they used the word, “replaced.” They don’t hide their contempt, do they?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2009/05/obama-to-replace-us-attorneys-018390


46 posted on 03/12/2017 1:50:25 PM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)
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To: drewh

#ABC-FakeNews is in competition with #CNN-FakeNews to come up with the Fakest News of All.


47 posted on 03/12/2017 2:24:58 PM PDT by TigersEye (We all have a stake in MAGA! We all need to contribute our efforts.)
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To: drewh

Typically technically correct allegation but far from the whole truth. He was fired after Hannity urged his firing. So what? The false implication is that he was fired because Hannity urged it.

Fake news!

After does NOT equal because.


48 posted on 03/12/2017 2:34:59 PM PDT by Captain Jack Aubrey (There's not a moment to lose.)
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To: drewh

Pathetic!! Innuendo, suggestions, lies and no facts are what passes for news on the MSM any more.


49 posted on 03/12/2017 2:48:56 PM PDT by falcon99
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To: drewh

Sean Hannity? I thought it was my advice they were listening to. They do have my house bugged, don’t they?


50 posted on 03/12/2017 3:02:26 PM PDT by lakecumberlandvet (APPEASEMENT NEVER WORKS.)
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To: drewh

Don’t give him all the credit. Most of us out here have been saying that from the start.

Don’t limit it to the attorneys either. The entire infrastructure is loaded with democrat traitors.


51 posted on 03/12/2017 3:32:29 PM PDT by RJS1950 (The democrats are the "enemies foreign and domestic" cited in the federal oath)
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To: drewh

And so?


52 posted on 03/12/2017 4:10:32 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: drewh

Note to ABC:

“GET REAL” Trump has his own list of people that need firing, he does not need Hannity to tell him.


53 posted on 03/12/2017 4:11:49 PM PDT by cpdiii
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To: 9YearLurker

Message—Don’t screw with Sean H. He has the president’s ear. trump could pick worse people for advise.


54 posted on 03/12/2017 5:35:45 PM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll Onward! Ride to the sound of the guns!)
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To: Paladin2

“PORTLAND, Ore. – Attorney General Loretta Lynch appointed Billy J. Williams as United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, effective on December 12, 2015. U.S. Attorney Williams will serve in an interim capacity pursuant to the Attorney General’s authority to appoint under 28 U.S.C. Section 546. “


55 posted on 03/12/2017 5:36:42 PM PDT by Neidermeyer (Show me a peaceful Muslim and I will show you a heretic to the Koran.)
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To: drewh

So what so did I,Hannity told us all everything,just ask him,of course he will interrupt you before you get to your point,every time,and remind you,that HE,warned you about every malady known to the human race!


56 posted on 03/13/2017 3:51:05 AM PDT by ballplayer (hvexx NKK c bmytit II iyijjhihhiyyiyiyi it iyiiy II i hi jiihi ty yhiiyihiijhijjyjiyjiiijyuiiijihyii)
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To: drewh

Trump needs to clean out EVERY Obama appointee.


57 posted on 03/13/2017 4:02:19 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (Hillary: Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect 2 billion dollars.)
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