Nixon’s ‘Saturday Night Massacre’ and #TuesdayNightMassacre Blow Up on Twitter After Comey Firing
Everywhere from Brian Williams‘ breaking news coverage on MSNBC to Twitter, you’ll notice that people are calling President Donald Trump‘s firing of FBI director James Comey a “Tuesday Night Massacre.”
Okay, why? What significance do those words have?
It’s a reference to the Saturday Night Massacre, which happened on October 20, 1973 when President Richard Nixon fired Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. Like Comey was helming the investigation into Trump’s possible Russian ties, Cox was investigating the break-in at Watergate.
On MSNBC moments ago, Chris Matthews pointed out that at least Nixon did this on a weekend. Trump, who did it on a Tuesday, is facing down immediate fury from Democrats on the Hill.
Regardless of the day, you can now see why and how the “Night Massacre” tag is being tacked onto this event. Even Nixon’s library, though, wants to let the record show that… well, you can look yourself:
FUN FACT: President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian pic.twitter.com/PatArKOZlk
— RichardNixonLibrary (@NixonLibrary) May 9, 2017
Anyway, whether it was an FBI director or a special prosecutor, Nixon and Trump now have a suspicious-looking firing in common and political observers are intent on making that connection very clear:
Trump’s firing of Comey will go down as the Tuesday Night Massacre. Sessions’ role in this move adds to the bad odor. Comey knows too much.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) May 9, 2017
Tuesday Night Massacre. We know why Richard Nixon fired Archibald Cox: the president was guilty of obstruction of justice.
— JohnAloysiusFarrell (@jaloysius) May 9, 2017
Nixon had the Saturday Night Massacre.
Trump has given us the Tuesday Night Treason.
— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) May 9, 2017
I just witnessed a Tuesday Night Massacre. The last time this happened was a Saturday as I recall. Check your History books. pic.twitter.com/JHryET5NVz
— justin trabocco (@jtrabocco) May 9, 2017
#TrumpRussiaInvestigation Did @realDonaldTrump just have his own Saturday Night Massacre but on Tuesday 🤔😉 it’s time to #TakeOurCountryBack pic.twitter.com/VuPEMd0JcL
— Juliana Weldon (@jujumack) May 9, 2017
Firing of Comey was likely a Tuesday Night Massacre. Trump fired the guy investigating him. I hope Comey tells all now. #ITMFA #TrumpRussia
— Race Bannon (@BannonRace) May 9, 2017
Apparently neither Sessions nor Trump studied or remembers the Saturday Night Massacre.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 9, 2017
You know, it's called a Saturday Night Massacre because you do it ON SATURDAY https://t.co/vDzwv0Dkp7
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) May 9, 2017
@funder @SenatorLeahy Perhaps @realDonaldTrump has forgotten that the Saturday Night massacre was the beginning of the end for Nixon…
— John Reid (@JohnReid16) May 9, 2017
Trump fires FBI director Comey. Nixon Saturday night massacre being replayed. History repeats itself & we all know how it ended for Nixon!
— Kevin Conroy (@RealKevinConroy) May 9, 2017
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