Hillary Clinton Campaign Manager on James Comey Firing: ‘This Terrifies Me’

Former staffers from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign warned that President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey could hurt the investigation into Russia’s influence on the 2016 presidential election.

“Surprised I’m saying this, but I don’t see how this bodes well for the Russia investigation,” Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook tweeted Tuesday, following news that Comey had been removed form office. “Twilight zone. I was as disappointed and frustrated as anyone at how the email investigation was handled. But this terrifies me.”

Comey was leading an investigation into whether members of Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the election.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein cited the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails in his recommendation that Comey be fired, according to a memo released Tuesday by the White House.

Clinton’s press secretary Brian Fallon said he agreed with Rosenstein’s argument that the email investigation was mishandled, but he worried Comey’s firing “smells like coverup on Russia.”

“I’m not shedding any tears for Comey personally -he hurt FBI’s reputation- but I do worry whether we ever get to the bottom of Russia now,” Fallon tweeted. “The only thing that could do more to erode faith in independence of FBI than Comey staying is Comey being fired. This is 100% political.”

Others drew comparisons to former President Richard Nixon’s infamous “Saturday Night Massacre.”

“@realDonaldTrump Didn’t you know you’re supposed to wait til Saturday night to massacre people investigating you?” Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta tweeted.

Here’s how other former Clinton staffers reacted: