Throughout much of the 2016 presidential election, FBI Director James Comey was at the center of a firestorm surrounding then-candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server to send and receive classified information during her tenure as Secretary of State.
In July of 2016, many thought that Comey gave Clinton a political lifeline after the FBI Director refused to recommend charges into its investigation of Clinton. After Comey’s stunning announcement, numerous politicians called for his resignation, arguing that the director clearly ignored Hillary’s repeated violation of federal law.
Despite Comey’s failings as FBI Director, President Trump decided not to ask for his resignation amidst the backdrop of both the Hillary email scandal and the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s alleged involvement in the 2016 election.
While President Trump had initially given Comey a vote of confidence, in a recent interview with Fox Business’ Mario Bartiromo, Trump revealed that “It’s not too late” for him to ask for Comey’s resignation. The President did stress that he has “confidence in him. We’ll see what happens. You know, it’s going to be interesting.”
Of course, the liberal media ignored the first part entirely, and made it sound like Trump gave Comey an unqualified, ringing endorsement.
Trump: I won’t seek Comey’s resignation https://t.co/Yv2icn46SD pic.twitter.com/8PBXAPMjid
— The Hill (@thehill) April 12, 2017
From Time:
Bartiromo had asked Trump directly if it was a mistake that he hadn’t asked Comey to step aside at the beginning of his presidency, and if it was too late to change course.
Comey acknowledged in a Congressional testimony on March 20 that the FBI is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election along with possible links to the Trump campaign.
—
“Don’t forget, when Jim Comey came out, he saved Hillary Clinton,” Trump told Bartiromo. “People don’t realize that.”
“When he was reading those charges, she was guilty on every charge,” Trump continued. “And then he said, she was essentially OK. But he — she wasn’t OK, because she was guilty on every charge.”
Here’s video of Trump’s comments:
Many were not shocked that Comey refused to recommend charges against Ms. Clinton given that his boss was then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch. During the heat of the campaign, Ms. Lynch and Bill Clinton secretly met on the tarmac of an airport, and while the two claimed they only talked about each other’s family, it looked very suspicious.
Just weeks later, FBI Director Comey miraculously came to his conclusion that no charges should be filed against Hillary. Given Comey’s lengthy history of providing cover for Clinton, it’s surprising that President Trump would still have confidence in the FBI Director.
Do you think President Trump should ask for Comey’s resignation? Share your thoughts below!