The former FBI director James Comey attempted to position himself above party politics in his first public interview since President Trump fired him last year, and the anger Comey has engendered from Democrats and Republicans may indicate he succeeded. "It helps his credibility in some sense that he's not positioning himself directly in alliance with one party or the other," said Jack Crowe, a reporter at the National Review. "No one in Washington is particularly happy with him." In the ABC interview, Comey said Trump was "morally unfit to be president," angering Republicans perhaps as much as he upset Democrats when he told Congress 11 days before the 2016 presidential election that he was reopening part of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. Clinton said in her 2017 book, "What Happened," that Comey's decision likely cost her the election. Since Comey was fired in May 2017, he has emerged as a polarizing figure in Washington. His termination led to the appointment of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, to investigate whether the Trump campaign worked with agents of the Russian government. The investigation has ensnared individuals close to Trump, including his personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen. During the ABC interview to promote his new memoir, Comey told Stephanopoulos that "it's possible" the Russian government has compromising information on Trump. "It is stunning and I wish I wasn't saying it, but it's just-- it's the truth," Comey said. Speaking on Cheddar's live broadcast on Monday, Crowe said that Comey's criticism of Trump didn't clearly "align himself with the democrats," but speculating that the Russian's may have dirt on the president "hurts Comey's credibility a bit." Comey is scheduled to conduct a number of media interviews this week to promote his book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership," to be published Tuesday by Flatiron Books. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/james-comey-tells-all).

Share:
More In Politics
Jan. 6 Committee Asks Ivanka Trump to Give Voluntary Testimony
The January 6 committee has asked Ivanka Trump to give voluntary testimony, saying there's evidence she was in "direct contact" with her father on the day of the capitol insurrection. I's unclear whether she will comply with the invitation, but it marks the first time the House committee has sought testimony from a member of the former president's family. Bradley Moss, national security attorney, joined Cheddar News to discuss what the committee hopes to learn from Ivanka and what the Supreme Court's decision on Trump's Jan. 6 materials means for the investigation.
States Turn to Unusual Solutions as Schools Face Staffing Shortages
With an increasing number of teachers and staff calling out sick by the day, the state of Oklahoma is turning to an unusual solution. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has issued an executive order that permits state employees to work as substitute teachers. Shaily Baranwal, founder and CEO of Elevate K-12, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Possible Cracks Between U.S. and Allies on Issue of Ukraine and Russia
On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the stance of the U.S. and its allies should Russia make any forays into Ukraine, a seeming response to President Biden's remarks that should Putin engage in something short of a full invasion, there might be some indecision among allied nations regarding what to do. Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the think tank Atlantic Council, joined Cheddar to discuss the difficulty faced by Blinken wrangling unity as tensions run high in the region. "There'll be a smaller incursion, and the president implied, there'll be a weaker response because our European allies have created this horrible situation where they are dependent on Moscow for their gas supply," Cohen explained.
Biden Approval Rating Tanking at One-Year Mark Over Issues Like Inflation
During a nearly two-hour press conference on Wednesday, President Biden spoke on his accomplishments and challenges from the first year of his presidency, and what his administration hopes to accomplish in the coming year. However, his approval ratings are underwater as COVID remains a big concern for voters — as does inflation, noted Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of polling aggregator RealClearPolitics. "The public thinks [inflation] is priority number one, and the administration is concerned about it, they talk about it, but they're not spending enough time on it as far as the public is concerned," said Bevan.
Behind Australian Judges Ruling for Allowing Novak Djokovic Deportation
The drama surrounding tennis star Novak Djokovic continues after he was deported from Australia over the weekend due to the nation's COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Djokovic was forced to leave the country on the eve of what was to be his first match in defense of his Australian Open title after three judges ruled in favor of his removal and revealed their reasoning for doing so. Adding to his woes, a law recently passed in France is putting his chances of defending his French Open title in jeopardy. The director of Marist's Center for Sports Communication, Jane McManus, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fallout.
Louisiana Senate Candidate on Smoking Weed in His Campaign Ad
As the midterm elections get ever closer, candidates have been getting creative with their campaigns to stick out and to connect with voters. Gary Chambers, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, has definitely attracted attention with an advertisement featuring him smoking a blunt, making a point about the inequity of anti-cannabis laws. "We wanted to bring the seriousness of the moment," he said of the ad. "But we also wanted to make sure that people understand that there are 19 states that are legal right now but Black people and brown people are being over-incarcerated in mostly Southern and Midwestern states in America for cannabis possession."
TLDR Act Provides the 'TLDR' on Sites' Terms of Service
If some members of Congress have their way, there might finally be a 'TLDR' on sites' terms of service, introduced by the terms-of-service labeling, design, and readability act – or TLDR for short. With this act, users will actually understand what they're agreeing to or the many ways in which their data is being used before pressing 'accept.' J.D. sat down with co-sponsor of the bill and Senator Bill Cassidy, to discuss.
Load More