The liberal media don’t appear to show any signs of whiplash due to their wild love/hate relationship with former FBI Director James Comey. He was obviously still in their good graces Thursday evening with the three major network news outlets (ABC, CBS, and NBC) and Spanish-language network Univision hyping excerpts from his soon-to-be-released book A Higher Loyalty. The three touted how Comey “blasted” President Trump for being “unethical” and his apparent apology to Hillary Clinton.
Both CBS and NBC kicked off their programs with the news of the leaked passages from Comey’s book. “We are going to begin tonight with James Comey's response. In a new book, details of which are just out, the former FBI Director, fired a year ago by the president fires back, taking aim at everything from the President's actions to his appearance,” announced CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor.
CBS Justice correspondent Jeff Pegues focused on Comey’s recollection about Trump’s attitude when briefed on the Democrat-funded, salacious dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele:
Comey says the president focused on one of the most salacious allegations in the dossier, that he Hadsell a sexual encounter in a Moscow hotel room. Comey writes, "Trump strongly denied the allegations, asking rhetorically, I assumed, whether he seemed like a guy who needed the service of prostitutes."
“They launched into a strategy session about how the spin what we'd just told them to the public,” Comey reportedly bemoaned.
NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt began the newscast by proclaiming: “For months he held his silence but tonight James Comey, a looming shadow into the investigation into the Trump campaign, is finally telling his story.”
White House correspondent Kristen Welker jumped right into some of the more incendiary comments Comey hurled at the President. “In his explosive soon to be released book, former FBI Director James Comey calls the president ‘untethered to the truth,’ ‘unethical,’ ‘ego-driven,’” she eagerly repeated.
As Welker was finishing her report, she touched on Comey’s apology to Hillary Clinton: “As for Comey and his regrets about some of the language he used during the investigation into Hillary Clinton, Comey says ultimately he believes he did the right thing.”
Meanwhile on ABC’s World News Tonight, the network zeroed in on Comey’s smear of Trump acting like an infamous mafia underboss. “Comey claims at that dinner, President Trump told him, ‘I need loyalty. I expect loyalty,’” ABC chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas recalled. “In his book, Comey writes, he thought to himself, ‘The demand was like ‘Sammy The Bull's’ Costra Nostra induction ceremony.’” Salvatore Gravano was a member of the Gambino crime family in New York City.
And in wrapping up his report, Thomas reported on Comey’s apology to Secretary Hillary Clinton:
Comey expresses some regrets about Clinton, writing quote, “I’ve read she has felt angered towards me personally and I’m sorry for that. I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job explaining to her and her supporters why I made the decisions I made.” End quote. And David, for Comey, it's personal. He writes, “this president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values.”
On Univision, they said: “During an interview with the ABC television network, James Comey called Donald Trump a mafia boss while promoting his book A Higher Loyalty which goes on sale next Tuesday.”
If they were this excited on Thursday, the liberal networks will be busting at the seams on Monday following ABC’s Sunday night interview with Comey and that's not to mention the book's Tuesday release.
The relevant portions of the transcript are below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
April 12, 2018
6:31:20 PM Eastern [2 minutes 3 seconds]JEFF GLOR: We are going to begin tonight with James Comey's response. In a new book, details of which are just out, the former FBI Director, fired a year ago by the president fires back, taking aim at everything from the President's actions to his appearance. Here's Jeff Pegues.
[Cuts to video]
JEFF PEGUES: Comey does not mince words when it comes to describing how he feels about the President. In his book, A Higher Loyalty, the former FBI Director blasts President Trump as "Untethered to truth" and goes on the say his leadership is "ego-driven and about personal loyalty." Comey's book suggests there was tension from the beginning, even before the inauguration. Comey briefed Trump on the allegations contained in the then-unsubstantiated dossier on Russian interference in the election.
Comey writes about the Trump team, "They were about to lead a country that had been attacked by a foreign adversary, yet they had no questions about what the future Russian threat might be.” Instead, Comey writes, “they launched into a strategy session about how the spin what we'd just told them to the public.”
Comey says the president focused on one of the most salacious allegations in the dossier, that he Hadsell a sexual encounter in a Moscow hotel room. Comey writes, "Trump strongly denied the allegations, asking rhetorically, I assumed, whether he seemed like a guy who needed the service of prostitutes."
Comey also wrote about the oval office meeting where he says the president asked him for his loyalty. He testified about that before Congress.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
PEGUES: Comey said that moment reminded him of a mobster's induction ceremony. He also said when he was fired, then DHS Secretary John Kelly told him he was sick about the situation. Comey says Kelly told him that he “didn't want to work for dishonorable people.” The White House denies that Kelly used that language. Kelly, of course, is now the White House chief of staff. Jeff?
GLOR: Jeff Pegues, thank you very much.
NBC Nightly News
April 12, 2018
7:01:23 PM Eastern [2 minutes 47 seconds]LESTER HOLT: Good evening. For months he held his silence but tonight James Comey, a looming shadow into the investigation into the Trump campaign, is finally telling his story. The former FBI boss fired by President Trump is about to release his new book and tonight quotes attributed to that book reveal Comey's interactions with the President, how he saw the limits of loyalty and what he got wrong about the Clinton e-mail investigation. NBC's Kristen Welker has details.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: In his explosive soon to be released book, former FBI Director James Comey calls the president “untethered to the truth,” “unethical,” “ego-driven” and even compared him to fame mob hit man Sammy "The bull." According to reports of excerpts not confirmed by NBC News, the book A Higher Loyalty gives new details about interactions Comey had with the president including that now infamous dinner where Comey said Mr. Trump demanded his loyalty. Comey writing, the President said quote, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” Comey was pressed on Capitol Hill about the dinner.
(…)
WELKER: Comey also reportedly writes that he regrets some of the wording he used in the press conference in which he announced the decision not to prosecute Hillary Clinton for her use of a private e-mail server. The President fired Comey last May that led to the appointment of the special counsel Robert Mueller.
(…)
[Cuts back to live]
WELKER: As for Comey and his regrets about some of the language he used during the investigation into Hillary Clinton, Comey says ultimately he believes he did the right thing. Lester?
HOLT: Kristen Welker at the White House, thank you.
ABC's World News Tonight
April 12, 2018
6:38:50 PM Eastern [2 minutes 10 seconds]DAVID MUIR: We do move on now, and to that breaking news back home involving former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by the President. In his new book about to be published, he reveals what he says played out with President Trump before he was fired. Their conversations, that private dinner. And the President's demand for loyalty. Comey now comparing the President to a mafia boss. Here's ABC's Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas tonight.
[Cuts to video]
PIERRE THOMAS: In his upcoming new book, former FBI Director James Comey likens President Trump to a mafia boss. Describing a presidential demand at a hastily arranged White House dinner.
(…)
THOMAS: Comey claims at that dinner, President Trump told him, "I need loyalty. I expect loyalty." In his book, Comey writes, he thought to himself, "The demand was like Sammy ‘The Bull's’ Costra Nostra induction ceremony.” That dinner was just one week after the inauguration. A few months later, Comey was gone, fired by the President.
In his book, Comey describes an emotional call he received shortly after from John Kelly, then Homeland Security secretary, now White House chief of staff. Comey says Kelly told him he "Intended to quit in protest because he didn't want to work for dishonorable people who would treat someone like Comey in such a manner." Comey writes, "I urged Kelly not to do that, arguing that the country needed principled people around this president. Especially this president."
[Cuts back to live]
MUIR: Pierre Thomas joins us tonight from the White House. And Pierre, James Comey also writes about Hillary Clinton and his decision to reopen the investigation into her e-mails, less than two weeks before the election, which many of her supporters believe cost her the election.
THOMAS: That's right, David. Comey expresses some regrets about Clinton, writing quote, “I’ve read she has felt angered towards me personally and I’m sorry for that. I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job explaining to her and her supporters why I made the decisions I made.” End quote. And David, for Comey, it's personal. He writes, “this president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values.” David?
MUIR: Pierre Thomas with us, as well tonight. Pierre, thank you.
