The day after former FBI Director James Comey’s interview with ABC News where he repeatedly slammed President Trump, the liberal media was largely fawning for his chides and speculation of Russian influence. While their colleagues were focused on touting Comey’s media antics, CBS Evening News spent their Monday report fretting about the damage Comey may have done to any legal or political case against Trump.
“What impact will Comey's book and his comments have on the special counsel investigation,” anchor Jeff Glor asked of Justice reporter Paula Reid after playing a clip of Comey suggesting Trump was “morally unfit to be president.” Reid immediately noted: “Comey's attacks on the President could certainly complicate any future court proceeding or any kind of impeachment debate in Congress.”
Pointing to the former FBI director’s account of the President allegedly telling him to “let go” of the Michael Flynn investigation, Reid worried Comey could have undermined himself. “And in the interview, Comey concludes that he believes that was certainly evidence of obstruction of justice. And his legal conclusions like that, that could be used to undermine him if he was ever called as a witness in this case,” she said.
“Also these personal attacks on the president, calling him “orange,” taking shorts at his marriage and his height, those could also be used to show bias and suggest that he had an agenda here, trying to sell books by attacking the President,” she added.
Reid also reported that she had spoken with a former prosecutor who told her that since Comey admitted to “leaking his memos in the hopes of triggering a special counsel,” it “could also be used to potentially undermine the legitimacy of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.”
Glor also noted Trump brutal response to the ABC interview on Twitter. “The President today blasted James Comey, the man he fired as FBI director, tweeting that Comey is a liar who committed many crimes,” he announces as the segment began. “This after Comey, plugging his new book on ABC, took aim at Mr. Trump.”
It’s interesting that CBS was more worried about Comey undermining any case against Trump instead of worrying about a former FBI director possibly being bitter and targeting the President for retribution. It shows their priorities.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
April 16, 2018
6:36:59 PM EasternJEFF GLOR: The President today blasted James Comey, the man he fired as FBI director, tweeting that Comey is a liar who committed many crimes. This after Comey, plugging his new book on ABC, took aim at Mr. Trump.
JAMES COMEY: He strikes me as a person of above-average intelligence who is tracking conversations and knows what's going on. I don't think he's medically unfit to be president. I think he's morally unfit to be president.
GLOR: Our Justice reporter Paula Reid joins us with more on this. Paula, what impact will Comey's book and his comments have on the special counsel investigation?
PAULA REID: Well, Comey's attacks on the President could certainly complicate any future court proceeding or any kind of impeachment debate in Congress. For example, in that interview there, Comey discusses a conversation he had with the president where he was asked to let go of the ongoing investigation into former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.
And in the interview, Comey concludes that he believes that was certainly evidence of obstruction of justice. And his legal conclusions like that, that could be used to undermine him if he was ever called as a witness in this case. Also these personal attacks on the president, calling him “orange,” taking shorts at his marriage and his height, those could also be used to show bias and suggest that he had an agenda here, trying to sell books by attacking the President.
And also, a former prosecutor points out to me the fact that Comey admits to leaking his memos in the hopes of triggering a special counsel, that could also be used to potentially undermine the legitimacy of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Jeff?
GLOR: Paula Reid at the white house. Paula, thank you.
