Trump doubles down on his attacks against "Slimeball" Comey's book
- Erica Pandey, author of Axios Finish Line
President Trump tweeted that former FBI director James Comey reopened the bureau's investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails because she led polling in October 2016, reiterating prior statements from the White House and the RNC.
Yes, but: Trump seems to be misreading Comey's intentions about the investigation, per a Politico breakdown. Comey says in his book that he publicly reopened the Clinton investigation because he unconsciously feared making her an "illegitimate president" in an "environment where [she] was sure to be the next president."
The full excerpt...
“I had assumed from media polling that Hillary Clinton was going to win. I have asked myself many times since if I was influenced by that assumption. I don’t know. Certainly not consciously but I would be a fool to say it couldn’t have had an impact on me. It is entirely possible that, because I was making decisions in an environment where Hillary Clinton was sure to be the next president, my concern about making her an illegitimate president by concealing the restarted investigation bore greater weight than it would have if the election appeared closer or if Donald Trump were ahead in the polls. But I don’t know.”
Trump followed up with more Sunday morning tweets, this time criticizing Comey's new book for not answering "the big questions" — and insinuating that the former FBI director deserves time in prison for his actions — and revisiting the 2016 tarmac meeting between Bill Clinton and then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The president called Comey's memos "FAKE" — though Comey testified under oath to Congress about their existence — and also got personal, calling Comey simply "not smart!"
Go deeper: The juiciest excerpts from Comey's "Higher Loyalty"