Why Was Trump’s Pick and Announcement of Christopher Wray as FBI Director Done in Total Secrecy?

It Seems Trump May Have Consulted With No One

President Donald Trump sidelined absolutely everyone he should have at least notified, if not consulted with, before announcing Wednesday morning via a tweet he had chosen Christopher Wray to become his nominee to replace Jim Comey as Director of the FBI. 

MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt reports that even the White House Communications Dept. appeared unprepared after Trump made the announcement via Twitter.

More importantly, however, key members of the House – and especially the Senate, who will be tasked with “advice and consent” on his pick – were not told. They admitted to reporters Wednesday morning they, like everyone else, found out via Twitter.

Aside from elements of decorum, which this president has refused to honor, Trump’s decision to not consult with key lawmakers – elected representatives of the people – or even with top White House officials, brings in to question Trump’s motives for keeping this nomination under wraps. 

Remember, this is the same administration that very openly told the press Joe Lieberman was Trump’s top pick just a few weeks ago, to head the FBI. Trump even told reporters himself. (That pick was sidelined by strong bipartisan and internal disapproval.)

Now, nothing.

And the timing is also suspect. 

Why, just hours before the Senate Intelligence Committee began two days of public and private hearings with testimony by top U.S. intelligence officials, and with former FBI Director Jim Comey, who Trump unceremoniously fired, did the President hurriedly make this announcement?

Why has the White House offered no other information about Wray, many hours later?

Was there any vetting of this nominee?

And again, why hide this nominee from top members of the Senate?

The Daily Beast calls it “just the latest instance of President Trump’s senior staffers, particularly his communications and press shop, being cut out of the loop, undermined, and frazzled by their unpredictable boss and his compulsive tweeting habit.”

NBC News Capitol Hill Producer Alex Moe notes some of the key players who were ignored:

NBC News Associate Producer Marianna Sotomayor adds:

MSNBC Producer Kyle Griffin posts a list of important lawmakers not consulted with or even notified: 

“Of the six White House and senior administration officials who spoke with The Daily Beast about Wray’s nomination, none said that they were aware of it before Trump’s early morning Tweet in advance,” the Daily Beast adds.

The question now becomes, will Democrats allow a president who is likely under investigation to appoint the next head of the FBI?

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Image: DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley via Jim Mattis/Flickr and a CC license