On Thursday, President Donald Trump complained about a lack of appreciation for firing James Comey as head of the FBI, asking on Twitter when the gratitude will start pouring in. When will people start saying, “thank you, Mr. President, for firing James Comey?” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2018 The president’s rhetorical question overlooks the fact that his explosive decision to fire Comey was the catalyst for the gravest threat to his presidency: the appointment of Robert Mueller as a special counsel investigating Trump’s campaign ties Russia.