Former FBI Director James Comey declared President Trump is “morally unfit” to lead the nation, telling a nationwide television audience it is “possible” the Russians have compromised the president and that there is “evidence” he may have obstructed justice.
Comey pulled no punches in an interview with ABC News that aired Sunday, describing Trump as a habitual liar who runs his administration like a mafia family.
“Our president must embody respect and adhere to the values that are at the core of this country. The most important being truth. This president is not able to do that. He is morally unfit to be president,” Comey told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos during their five-hour discussion.
But Comey said he does not support impeaching the president over his conduct, saying voters should decide whether Trump continues to serve as president.
“Impeaching and removing Donald Trump from office would let the American people off the hook and have something happen indirectly that I believe they’re duty bound to do directly,” the former FBI director said. “People in this country need to stand up and go to the voting booth and vote their values.”
Comey sat for his first television interview since being fired as part of a media tour to sell his new tell-all memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” which hits bookshelves this week.
While Comey’s comments largely mirror the contents of his book, as well as previous congressional testimony, they have renewed his personal feud with Trump at a pivotal time in the Russia investigation, when special counsel Robert Mueller appears to be closing in on Trump’s inner circle.
The president blasted “Slippery James Comey” in a tweet storm ahead of the interview, calling him “the WORST FBI Director in history, by far!”
He also disputed Comey’s claim that he asked the FBI director for personal loyalty during a private meeting early in his presidency, a conversation Comey described in detail during the interview.
If the interview revealed anything, it was the depth of Comey’s personal dislike for Trump, who fired him as FBI director in May 2017.