Republicans Are Paralyzed By Their Fear Of Fox News And Trump’s Mean Tweets, James Comey Says


Former FBI Director James Comey condemned Republicans and Fox News on Monday for failing to stand up for the rule of law against attacks from Donald Trump and his supporters. Speaking at a closed-door testimony to the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, the Week reports that Comey lashed out after what he called a “frustrating” conversation that rehashed old ground concerning Hillary Clinton’s emails.

“At some point someone has to stand up and in the face of fear of Fox News, fear of their base, fear of mean tweets, stand up for the values of this country and not slink away into retirement, but stand up and speak the truth,” he told reporters after exiting the meeting.

Comey appeared frustrated after the six-hour committee, led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, let out. He expressed concern for the fact that the GOP-led inquiry continues to focus on Clinton’s use of personal servers, noting that he didn’t learn anything new in the meeting and that it was more of the same ground that has already been covered. This is the second time this month that the former FBI director has made an appearance to answer questions about the Russia investigation and the Clinton email situation.

“I find it frustrating to be here answering questions about things that are far less important than the values this country is built upon.”

Instead, Comey says that Republicans should be looking at how the president continues to attack the rule of law, warning them that someday they would be forced to explain to their grandchildren why they failed to hold the right people accountable.

“Republicans used to understand that the actions of a president matter, the words of a president matter, the rule of law matters, and the truth matters. Where are those Republicans today?” he asked.

A Fox News report asked Comey if he believed that he shouldered some of the responsibility for the FBI’s suffering reputation. Comey said that he believed the FBI’s reputation was under attack because of the president and his supporters lying about it “constantly.” He noted that Fox News was part of the problem because many of their viewers “believe that nonsense.”

Reporters also asked Comey, who is a longtime Republican, if he believed acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, who replaced Jeff Sessions this month, would act in good faith in continuing the Russia investigation. Comey said that he had no comment.

All told, Comey has spent 11 hours this month on Capitol Hill into the role he played in the FBI’s decision during the 2016 election.

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