Interview, Fireside Chat
James Comey on emails, the "American giant" and the end of Donald Trump
- James Comey maintains his assessment that President Trump is morally unfit for office due to threats against American values, the rule of law, and the truth, rather than solely policy disagreements.
- Comey observes that the "awakening of the American giant" (the public) is more significant than specific policy changes, citing mass bipartisan disgust over family separations at the border forcing presidential action.
- Comey declines to speculate on Melania Trump's "I Really Don't Care" jacket, attributing it to fashion or incompetence rather than a deliberate hostile message, noting that "Team Trump" lacks consistent strategy.
- Comey expresses low confidence in President Trump's reelection prospects, warning that the President could win with only 33–34% of the vote in a multi-candidate scenario.
- While skeptical of a Democratic victory, Comey remains optimistic that a candidate reflecting core values can attract the "great middle" of American life.
- Comey defends the principle of maintaining diplomatic respect for the U.S. Presidency even while personally critical of the officeholder, opposing calls for the UK to block Trump's visit.
- Comey expresses skepticism regarding the North Korean denuclearization deal, citing historical patterns where North Korea fails to follow through on promises.
- Regarding the Inspector General report, Comey acknowledges that announcing the re-opening of the Hillary Clinton email investigation on October 28th was a "nightmare" driven by the choice between a "catastrophic" lie of omission or speaking the truth.
- Comey regrets not acting sooner on the Clinton email evidence, acknowledging a "big what if" regarding whether the FBI should have presented the new trove of emails to him a month earlier than they did.
- Comey disputes the notion that his FBI investigation focused on Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server rather than the handling of classified information.
- Comey hopes he had no impact on the election outcome but maintains that his decision on October 28th was not made based on partisan considerations or the potential election result.
- Comey rejects the label of being the "most politically active FBI Director," arguing that investigating a presidential candidate during an election year inevitably places the FBI on the field of play regardless of intent.
- Comey defends the decision to publish his memoir now, stating it would be "cowardly" to wait for the Mueller investigation to conclude given his concerns about ethics and leadership.
- Comey asserts he has high confidence that Robert Mueller will uncover the facts, but uncertainty regarding how the American political system will react to the findings.
- Comey defends the Robert Mueller team as composed of the "best" legal talent, noting that Democratic dominance in New York prosecutors' offices is a result of talent density rather than political bias.
- Comey states that while he knows of conversations about loyalty and the Flynn investigation, he cannot confirm obstruction of justice as a witness lacking access to specific emails or full context.
- Comey hopes President Trump will voluntarily cooperate with the Mueller investigation as a responsible act of the Presidency, though he cannot advise him as a citizen.
- Comey characterizes the FBI as an institution that is "rock solid" and unpoliticized at its core, despite being the target of aggressive political attacks.
- Comey clarifies that "collusion" is not a crime in U.S. law; the investigation focuses on criminal conspiracy, aiding and abetting, or knowingly assisting Russian efforts.
- Comey confirms his belief that Russia was culpable in its activities against the U.S. democratic process, but the legal question remains whether Americans knowingly assisted those efforts.
- Comey uses the historical example of Joseph McCarthy to argue that American political "fevers" eventually break, suggesting the public will tire of Trump if he continues to threaten national values.
- Comey posits that Trump's presidency may inadvertently strengthen the country by forcing a national conversation about shared ethical values, similar to the retrospective reassessment of past presidents.
- Comey is set to teach a public policy course at the College of William & Mary, using his book alongside works by Hannah Arendt and Reinhold Niebuhr to teach ethical leadership.
- Comey emphasizes that ethical leadership is defined by the decision-making process—ensuring quality thinking, truth-speaking environments, and external reference points—rather than the outcome of a decision.
- Comey defends the publication of private, non-classified conversations in his memoir as a tradition of American civic discourse, noting all material was reviewed by the FBI.