Chuck Grassley says of Nixonian comparisons: ‘Suck it up’

Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday that those making comparisons of President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James B. Comey to President Richard Nixon need to “suck it up.”

“My message is suck it up and move on,” Mr. Grassley said on Fox News.

Mr. Trump’s firing of Mr. Comey is being compared to former President Richard Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre” when he ordered the firing of the special prosecutor in the Watergate case, Archibald Cox, which also led to the resignations of the attorney general and deputy attorney general.

Mr. Grassley further defended Mr. Trump saying that if he had ignored the recommendation to fire Mr. Comey, he would need a “good reason” and that he supports the president.

“The president wouldn’t have to take the advice of [Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein], but obviously the president ought to have a good reason for not taking it when the guy that supervises the FBI felt that Mr. Comey was bad for the morale and the confidence that the public ought to have in the FBI,” the Iowa Republican said. “Of course, I support it.”

Mr. Grassley also said the president called him before the news broke to inform him as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is part of the Russia investigation.

“He just wanted to inform me as chairman of the committee and call me as the first senator to tell me that he’s going to make this firing so that he wasn’t caught off guard,” he said.