Comey: Trump is ‘morally unfit’ for place of job

Historical FBI director James Comey has said Donald Trump is a particular person « morally unfit to be president », who treats girls folks like « objects of meat ».

Mr Comey modified into once giving his first important tv interview since he modified into once modified into once fired by President Trump last 365 days.

He informed ABC Files that Mr Trump modified into once any individual « for whom the real fact is no longer a excessive price ».

Hours ahead of the interview aired, the president went on the offensive, accusing Mr Comey of « many lies ».

« I produce no longer remove these things about him being mentally incompetent or early phases of dementia, » Mr Comey informed ABC’s 20/20 programme on Sunday evening.

« I produce no longer deem he’s medically unfit to be president. I deem he’s morally unfit to be president.

« Our president must embody respect and adhere to the values that are at the core of this nation. One of the best being fact. This president is no longer ready to produce that, » Mr Comey said.

After the interview aired, Mr Trump’s occasion – by the Republican Nationwide Committee – released an announcement saying Mr Comey’s publicity tour for his contemporary book confirmed « his factual larger loyalty is to himself. »

« The handiest factor worse than Comey’s history of misconduct is his willingness to claim the relaxation to promote books, » it said.

How did we decide up here?

It’s the most popular pattern in a lengthy-standing feud between the 2 men, additional fuelled by the upcoming newsletter of Mr Comey’s memoir A Better Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Management.

The ex-FBI chief is on a publicity blitz for the book.

President Trump has said the » badly reviewed book » raises « monumental questions ». He also speedy Mr Comey ought to be imprisoned, and in contemporary days started referring to him as a « slimeball ».

The memoir dates encourage to the 2016 presidential election, when Mr Comey modified into once FBI director. In October, days ahead of the vote, he sent a letter to Congress telling them the FBI modified into once reopening an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. The letter went public – and Mrs Clinton says it handed Donald Trump the election.

Nevertheless once Mr Trump grew to vary into president, Mr Comey says he tried to extract a pledge of private loyalty from him – one thing the president fiercely denies.

In March 2017, when alleged hyperlinks between Mr Trump’s campaign and Russia win been being investigated by the FBI, Mr Trump allegedly compelled Mr Comey to publicly snort that the president modified into once no longer for my share being investigated – one thing the then director says he declined to produce.

Some Democrats blamed Mr Comey for costing Mrs Clinton the election, whereas Trump supporters felt he modified into once focusing on the president with the Russia investigation.

He modified into once fired by President Trump in Also can fair, discovering out about his dismissal from TV news.

• FBI boss who went from ‘respect’ to ‘nut’
• The Trump-Russia saga in 200 words

Getting out alive?

Analysis by the BBC’s Anthony Zurcher

James Comey thinks Donald Trump is a serial liar who degrades girls folks and is « morally unfit » to be president.

He says it be « that you might presumably also deem » however « no longer likely » that Russia has compromised the president, and that he might perchance additionally fair win obstructed the collusion investigation.

He also believes the American of us can no longer produce the relaxation about it until the November 2020 presidential election.

That’s correct one in all the contradictions that emerged in Mr Comey’s interview. He said he strove to decide up non-political choices about the highly political 2016 investigations into Hillary Clinton and the Trump campaign. He spoke of integrity and honour, however confessed that he might perchance additionally fair no longer win had the « guts » to confront the president.

The odd director gave a advanced interview reflecting a particular person challenged to intention which advance from his place at the centre of the best political tales of a lifetime. It made for moving tv. Now Trump loyalists will win apart his remarks and return fireside.

« No one will get out alive, » Mr Comey quipped in the early days of the Clinton investigation.

It wasn’t in actuality a comic memoir then. And it absolutely just isn’t now.

What else did Comey snort?

In the primetime TV interview, Mr Comey speedy that the president had surrounded himself with of us steady to him – evaluating Mr Trump to mob bosses he had investigated as a younger man.

« The loyalty oaths, the boss because the dominant centre of all the things, it be all about how produce you serve the boss, what’s in the boss’ interests, » he said.

Asked if these around the president win been « enabling contaminated behaviour », Mr Comey said: « The scenario of this president is that he’ll stain all americans around him. »

Mr Comey, however, said he did no longer deem President Trump ought to be impeached.

« I’m hoping no longer as a consequence of I deem impeaching and inserting off Donald Trump from place of job would let the American of us off the hook, » he said.

As every other, he said, it modified into once one thing the American of us win been « duty sure to produce straight » at the voting gross sales place.

For the period of the in depth interview, Mr Comey also said:

• Sooner than revealing the contemporary Clinton investigation, one team member requested Mr Comey: « Can win to tranquil you retract into consideration that what you is more likely to be about produce to might perchance additionally fair support elect Donald Trump president? »
• To which Mr Comey said he spoke back: « Down that route lies the loss of life of the FBI as an goal force »
• On the Clinton probe: « The FBI drove this investigation and we did it in a competent and goal manner. I would guess my life on that »
• He modified into once a « deeply flawed human surrounded by other flawed americans »
• Readers of his book « ought to tranquil lumber out of this pondering I’m an fool, however I’m an correct fool »