Why Comey's ace was Trumped

The events leading up to Comey losing his job as head of the FBI are a perfect example of brinksmanship gone bad. True, he was a grandstander, and his announcing an investigation of Hillary's private email server just before the election was both a violation of the protocol of his office, and a probable key factor in Trump's victory.

Nevertheless, he was acutely aware of Trump's increasing disenchantment with his lack of loyalty, so in the interest of job security he decided to play his ace. He correctly concluded that asking for more resources to investigate Russia's potential involvement in our election would create a huge propaganda obstacle to Trump's firing him. He felt sure that Trump would not dare a media barrage of accusations that firing Comey was to quash the Russia investigation.

But he didn't know Trump, a total bull at heart who's "damn the torpedoes" reactions were actually too much to risk. Further, he should have known full well Trump's proven disdain for what the media says or thinks.

Trump, in turn, made the miscalculation of thinking that he would have the support of Democrats who blamed Comey for his damage to Hillary's cause at election time. Just too much anti-Trump sentiment for that to happen.

So the fireworks have begun. Trump is arguing that an active FBI investigation of possible Russian complicity is solidly in-place, and that will continue regardless of who heads the organization. Ergo, that can't be his main reason for firing Comey.

Miscalculation on both sides, though, sure does show that brinksmanship is a dangerous game when neither party knows where the brink is.

Gib Van Dine

West Chicago