Firing a Cop

People like Trump just don't understand what motivates normal people. They think it's all about a paycheck and maybe job security, which is really future paychecks.

That simply isn't how people tick.

Take Trump's recent removal of the FBI director James Comey. I think it is safe to say that it had to do with Mr. Trump's discomfort with the FBI investigating Russian involvement in the Trump administration.

Trump wanted to stop the investigation by firing the FBI's boss. This, of course, would put the FBI in it's place, cowering in the corner if fear of their jobs.

That's surely how it would work in all of Trump's business dealings over the last 50 years. Some department gets a bit out of line, so he'd fire the boss, and everybody else would live in terror that their paychecks would vanish.

Of course, that isn't what the reaction was at all. Cops don't become cops for the paycheck, at least most don't. They want to be cops; to protect the public and catch the bad-guys.

So he fired Comey, and the Deputy Director Andrew McCabe immediately took over as Acting Director. A new Director would be put forward by the President, and have to be confirmed by the Senate. That means that McCabe is in charge for at least a number of weeks, and perhaps months.

So Comey was fired by the very president that he was investigating for what might turn out to be treason. Problem solved for Mr. Trump? Not at all. McCabe, as a cop reacted the way you'd expect when faced with a potentially treasonous villain trying to cover up his crimes. He is pouring even more resources into investigating Trump's administration.

Doesn't McCabe fear he'll be fired, just like Comey? It certainly doesn't seem so. In theory, Trump could do it, but if he did, the next cop would take the FBI over, and be even more determined.

Another bit of fallout is that the Justice Department has done the job that it's supposed to do when a president goes wacko and tries something like this.

The Deputy Attorney General appointed a Special Council to independently investigate Russia's involvement. Trump has no power over this individual at all. Who is he? His name is Robert S. Mueller, and he was the FBI Director prior to Comey. He is highly thought off, and not subservient to any political party. He's also another cop.

It seems to almost always be this way with rich business types when they are put in charge of non-business types.

They don't understand doctors, for example, or nurses. Soldiers? Not a chance. Artists? Would they even try? Farmers? Scientists?

Clearly Trump doesn't understand cops, but they are very experienced in understanding people like him.