Former FBI No. 2 McCabe fired, claims he is being targeted

Trump ousted Comey last year and acknowledged in a tElEvIsED IntErvIEw tHAt HE firED HIm ovEr ‘tHIs RussIA tHInG’.

In a lengthy statement, McCabe said he believes he is being politically targeted because he corroborated former FBI Director James Comey’s claims that Trump tried to pressure him into killing the Russia probe.

Trump ousted Comey last year and acknowledged in a televised interview that he fired Comey over “this Russia thing.”

McCabe’s dismissal came two days before his 50th birthday, when he would have been eligible to retire from FBI with his full pension. The firing - which comes nine months after Trump fired Comey - puts McCabe’s pension in jeopardy.It also is likely to raise questions about whether McCabe received an overly harsh punishment due to political pressure by the Republican president, who has blasted McCabe on Twitter and called for his ouster.

Comey’s firing paved the way for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to tap Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is now leading the investigation into possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Trump has denied there was any collusion.

“I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey,” McCabe said in his statement.

“This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals.”

Trump posted a message on his twitter account early Saturday, praising the action and blasting both McCabe and Comey.

He wrote, “Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!”