Joe On Firing Of AG Sally Yates: Using The Word "Betrayed" Is Frightening | Morning Joe | MSNBC
Not many people know what its like to publicly say no to the most powerful man in the world, who also happens to be your boss.
sally yates does. on monday, Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration, refused to defend President Trumps controversial refugee and immigrant ban. Hours later, he fired her from her post as acting attorney general.
William Ruckelshaus also knows what its like.
He was deputy attorney general in 1973 when he refused an order from President Nixon to fire the special prosecutor who was investigating Watergate.
In my judgment the decision to fire Archibald c*x was fundamentally wrong, as far as the president was concerned, Ruckelshaus, 84, who lives in Medina, said in a phone interview Monday night. I couldnt in good conscience do it.
Ruckelshaus and Attorney General Elliot Richardson were both fired the night of Oct. 20, 1973, which became known as the Saturday Night Massacre.
Ruckelshaus recognizes the parallels between the two situations. Both he and Yates were asked to carry out a presidential order and refused. In Ruckelshaus case, however, he was asked by the president to thwart an investigation into the president. Yates was only asked to defend the presidents policy in court.
Ruckelshaus, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, says he doesnt know enough about the specifics to judge Yates actions, but it comes down to that concept of fundamentally wrong.
Just because you dont get your way with the president doesnt necessarily mean you refuse to take his orders, refuse to carry out his commands, he said. What Ive seen on television is theyre mostly arguing the legal points, and for me thats not as important as whether, under all the circumstances involved, she was asked to do something that she believed was fundamentally wrong. I dont know that.
Disobeying the president isnt an action to take lightly.
The president, after all, is elected; you werent, Ruckelshaus said. Whether or not hes carrying out the wishes of the people that elected him is a matter of some (debate), you could argue about that.
Ruckelshaus knew the moment he defied Nixon he would be fired. Hed sent a letter of resignation along with his refusal to fire c*x. That night, Nixons chief of staff announced Ruckelshaus was fired. The next day Nixon announced Ruckelshaus had resigned.
Depending on your point of view, I was both fired and resigned, he said.
Yates firing was not a surprise to him.
If he ordered her to carry out one of his orders, and she refused to do it, he doesnt have an awful lot of choices if he wants the order carried out, Ruckelshaus said.
Ruckelshaus, who has voted Democratic since President Obamas first election, had one bit of advice for Trump.
I would just, without being too effrontery about it, caution the president to exercise a little more care in these types of orders, he said.
Because they can end this way, and that doesnt help him discharging his responsibilities.
Source: http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/william-ruckelshaus-fired-in-watergate-probe-reflects-on-trumps-firing-decision-in-immigration-ban/
