Why Neither Party Is Happy With Ex-FBI Director James Comey
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).
A new bill in Congress shows just how bipartisan cannabis really is. Rep. David Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, teamed up with progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a cannabis expungement bill. Cheddar cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with the congressman about the legislation.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus have lined up to support the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act introduced by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif. 41st District). The representative joined Cheddar to discuss how instituting a four-day workweek in the United States can be beneficial for both employees with the need of a work-life balance and employers looking both to retain talent amid a labor shortage and improve efficiency in their workforces. "We live in a different time than 90 years ago when we established a 40-hour workweek," he said. "We've had a lot of technological changes, the American worker is exponentially more productive than previous generations, so it's time to reexamine Americans and the way in which they relate to work."
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri faced a bipartisan Congressional grilling this week as the Senate inquired about safety practices for protecting the mental wellbeing of young people on the platform. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Cheddar to talk about the hearing and how she was disappointed in Instagram coming unprepared with relevant information or documents. Blackburn also offered concern that the platform could continue with building a kids-only version despite having drawn significant opposition from the public.
The Great Resignation has shown some signs of slowing in October with the number of those who quit their jobs falling by 4.7 percent to 4.16 million. This comes as worker strikes and calls for unionization ramp up. Jane Oates, president at WorkingNation joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to discuss the implications.
U.S. markets opened lower despite positive jobs data, which saw weekly claims drop to a 52-year low. Kevin Nicholson, Co-CIO Global Fixed Income, RiverFront Investment Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the labor market, inflation, and the impact of the Omicron variant on global markets.
A packed Thursday pod: Carlo and Baker cover the latest developments in the Ghislaine Maxwell, Jussie Smollett and Elizabeth Holmes trials. Plus, Dems are losing the Hispanic vote, Boris Johnson in trouble again, and is it possible that Adele has peaked?
Jim Bruderman, Vice Chairman at 1879 Advisors, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says investors experienced a 'panic attack' last week with the spread of the Omicron variant and the Fed's tapering plans. As a result, he says we're now seeing stocks climb due to a growing comfort level toward both developments.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, faced withering questions on Capitol Hill about the reports the social media app was aware of the severe mental health impacts it was having on teenage girls. Karen Kornbluh, the director of digital innovation and democracy for the German Marshall Fund, joined Cheddar to discuss the rare show of bipartisan outrage on display at the Senate hearing. "The senators came really loaded for bear on both sides of the aisle," she said. Kornbluh explained how senators like Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) set up fake Instagram accounts with teen girl profiles in order to research the effects firsthand.
