James Comey Saved His Biggest Surprises for His Book's Smallest Details
Audiences expecting any surprises from former FBI director James Comey's sitdown with ABC News's George Stephanopoulous may have been left sorely disappointed.
After weeks of book excerpts and promotional clips, most of the biggest bombshells from the interview were already well known. But the smaller details from Comey's memoir, "A Higher Loyalty," that he divulged in the "20/20" special on Sunday night hold the most intrigue.
"What I think will make some ripples are the additional details that are provided in some of those anecdotes that he's telling," said Lachlan Markay, White House Correspondent at The Daily Beast.
Markay said that the most dramatic elements of the Comey-Trump saga are not grabbing the headlines because, "most of that has leaked out over the past year or so."
Comey spent most of his primetime interview and much of his book recounting the early days of the Trump administration, and the events that would ultimately lead to his termination. Those events have been well documented by Comey and the news media, but that doesn't mean the book won't make news.
In fact, more tangential stories like Comey's revelation that the White House chief of staff John Kelly called the president's firing of Comey "dishonorable" could have "the potential to actually affect some staffing decisions and policies," said Markay.
The Hollywood Reporter said the early ratings numbers for the "20/20" special show the Comey interview drew an average of 9.8 million viewers for ABC. One of those viewers may well have been President Trump.
"The president of the United States is watching this and has been watching the Comey media blitz very closely," said Asawin Suebsaeng, White House Reporter at The Daily Beast.
Comey is set to appear this week on "The View," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and "The Rachel Maddow Show."
"A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" hits bookstore shelves on Tuesday.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/let-the-book-tour-begin-whats-next-for-james-comey).
The Supreme Court appeared prepared Wednesday to uphold a Mississippi law that would ban almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The ruling is far from over, with Roe V. Wade at risk. Susan Rinkunas, senior reporter at Jezebel, joins Cheddar News to share the developments of the hearing.
The nine justices heard arguments Wednesday, around a Mississippi abortion law that bans the procedure after 15 weeks and appeared to lean toward upholding the law, while leaving uncertainty about the landmark precedent, Roe v. Wade. Kristin Ford, vice president of communications and research at NARAL Pro-Choice America joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Just about a week after being re-nominated, Federal Reserve Chair Jermone Powell is changing his tune. After nearly a year of referring to inflation as 'transitory,' Powell said he will retire the 'T' word as inflation remains elevated. Christopher Russo, Post-Graduate Research Fellow, Mercatus Center joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Airbnb has come under fire after an Axios report found that the rental company has properties available in China's Xinjiang region where the nation has been accused of committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims, demolishing their homes, and replacing them with tourist attractions.
With the emergence of the omicron variant, the U.S. is considering tightening international travel guidelines. The CDC said it might reduce the window for foreign travelers to submit a negative COVID-19 test from three days prior to one day before allowing entry.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, another school shooting in America and more. Plus, bidding farewell to 'transitory' inflation, and the controversy surrounding 'Lovely Bones' author Alice Sebold.
Disparities in tree coverage across America is a huge issue that affects air quality, heat exposure, and ultimately determines how resilient communities are against climate change. The Build Back Better Act is allocating $2.5 billion to boost 'tree equity.' Lemir Teron, assistant professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, joins Cheddar News to explain why this is a priority for Democrats today.
