You know you’re in trouble when you have to bring in a $1500 an hour lawyer from the big city. Donald Trump was driven to that today by the sworn testimony of the FBI director he fired.

Here is the bombshell: a former FBI director has said publicly and under oath that the current president of the United States cannot be trusted.

This is unprecedented and highly troubling. Though James Comey, whom President Donald Trump fired in May, had the day before disclosed his prepared testimony chronicling his disturbing interactions with Trump, his dramatic and much-anticipated appearance Thursday morning before the Senate intelligence committee reinforced and expanded the damning indictment Comey presented in his statement. He noted that he believed that Trump had privately directed him to drop the investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn that was part of the FBI’s ongoing Russia probe. He also testified that he saw Trump’s statements to him about the Russia investigation as an order to quash the probe. And he accused the president and the White House of lying.

The Trump administration is in for a rude awakening if they think the American public will believe the president over James Comey.

Rachel Maddow obliterated Donald Trump on Thursday, saying that his actions as laid out by former FBI Director James Comey in today’s hearing amount to “textbook obstruction of justice,” which could put his entire presidency on the line.

Maddow also explained that Trump is essentially alone in his argument that he never tried to halt the investigation into Michael Flynn’s ties to Russia.

As the MSNBC star said, the Trump administration is in for a rude awakening if they think the American public and those investigating possible obstruction will believe the president – who is a well-documented liar – over James Comey, who is widely seen as a man of integrity, even if he has irked supporters of both political parties.

Ultimately, when it comes to the obstruction of justice case against this president, the scandal involving his ties to Russia is essentially irrelevant. As Maddow pointed out, it doesn’t matter what the investigation is about – it only matters that the President of the United States tried to influence that investigation.

Based on Comey’s testimony, his memos, other key members of the FBI, and any potential tapes that may exist, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the president did just that – and that could soon spell the end of his presidency.

James ComeyMSNBC