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Former Obama officials warn of danger and destruction after Andrew McCabe is fired

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe sits at a hearing on Capitol Hill.
Former Obama administration officials railed against President Trump after former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was fired.

This story was updated at 1:05 p.m.

Top officials from the Obama administration condemned President Trump for the abrupt firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

Less than 48 hours before McCabe, a 21-year veteran of the bureau, was set to formally retire and collect a full pension, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he had been terminated.

Eric Holder, who served as former President Barack Obama's attorney general, called his ouster "dangerous."

"Analyze McCabe firing on two levels: the substance and the timing," Holder tweeted. "We don’t know enough about the substance yet. The timing appears cruel and a cave that compromised DOJ independence to please an increasingly erratic President who should’ve played no role here. This is dangerous."

Former CIA Director John Brennan warned Trump could be taking the U.S. on a path towards destruction, but claimed "America will triumph over you."

Trump, who along with Republican allies previously accused McCabe of bias, celebrated his removal as "great day for democracy."

Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod responded to Trump's tweet, calling it a "flagrant victory dance from the man who ordered the hit."

Also reacting to Trump's tweet was Ben Rhodes, who served as Obama's deputy national security adviser. He chided Trump's "strategy" as perhaps not the best approach to governing or the Russia investigation.

McCabe has rejected reports from the FBI's Office of Personal Responsibility and Office of Inspector General, which concluded he made unauthorized leaks and made disingenuous statements under oath. In a statement late Friday that there has been an effort to "slander" him and accused the push to remove him as being part of the Trump administration's "ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation," which is looking at whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.