In a wide-ranging interview of James Comey with Fox News’ Bret Baier, no one seemed more perplexed by the former FBI director that the interviewer himself.
The host of “Special Report with Bret Baier” reflected on the many eyebrow-raising moments following his interview with Comey on Thursday, telling his colleague Martha MacCallum on “The Story” that it was at times “fascinating.”
Baier was struck foremost by Comey’s admission that “he says to this day he does not definitively know that the dossier was funded by the DNC and Hillary Clinton.”
The Fox News anchor appeared taken aback by the fired FBI chief’s response to the question about the controversial Christopher Steele dossier containing unverified claims about President Trump which was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
“I find that fascinating. I find that interesting,” Baier reflected on Comey’s reply that he “never knew exactly which Democrats had funded” the dossier which sparked the FBI Russia investigation.
Just to be clear – Comey was the Director of the most powerful law enforcement operation on earth and he’s still confused at to who financed the bogus dossier? This is absurd.
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) April 26, 2018
He’s the FBI director but he doesn’t know this information? Who believes this garbage? If he didn’t have “facts” why did he leak info to the media? https://t.co/O1MpRfjYOu
— JeriCovfefe?? (@AZcardFAN711) April 26, 2018
“The other thing that stuck out to me was about the leaking of the memos,” Baier recalled. “Again, he pushed back on the word ‘leak.'”
Comey did not consider sharing his memos about conversations with Trump as a “leak,” pushing back on Baier’s question about passing the memos on to three people, including his friend, Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman. Comey defended his actions, saying the “memo was unclassified then” and he “didn’t consider it part of an FBI file… It was my personal aide-memoire.”
Richman, however, was not just a friend of Comey’s but was also given a special status as a government employee, giving him access to the FBI.
“Why does that matter? Well, what was his job?” Baier told MacCallum. “He was what? He was a valve? he was a guy that you gave stuff to? ”
“He also confirmed that the memos, including what now are considered classified memos, went to three other people. And we know that the FBI had to scrub the computer of one of those people after that because of intelligence,” Baier continued.”
Baier asks Comey some very simple questions & Comey, who just wrote an entire book & hosted a book party with a flock of journalists (with great cocktails on menu if you didn’t see), can’t get basic facts or timelines right.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) April 26, 2018
I think I have an idea why the FBI missed all those people who ended up becoming terrorists or shooting up schools. https://t.co/4j5WuasFro
— Dragon Energy Ross (@indyrallen) April 26, 2018
He shared one other thing that he found interesting in his interview with the former FBI chief, who is on a media tour to promote his new book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership,” which he used as a platform to bash the president for his policies, character and even his physical appearance.
Baeir could not understand the disconnect in Comey’s mind “when he said at the end that he would still be FBI Director tonight.”
“Listening to this media roll-out and this media blitz about this book…he has not shied away from saying the president is morally unfit, that people should vote their conscience but not vote for this guy because he doesn’t match the values and principles that I have and that the country should have,” Baier said.
“And yet, he said as of tonight, had he not been fired, he would still be working for this person, as he’s lambasting Republicans for working with this person who was duly elected by the American public,” Baier continued. “I just thought that was – I tried to see if there was a disconnect in his mind and there wasn’t.”
So, that Comey interview with Bret Baier was something. What made it so interesting was how Baier understood the underlying issues so well. Also Comey flipping between precision recall and ‘oh I don’t remember,’ depending on whether answers helped or hurt.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 27, 2018
The president weighed in on Twitter, calling Comey “either very sick or very dumb.”
Is everybody believing what is going on. James Comey can’t define what a leak is. He illegally leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION but doesn’t understand what he did or how serious it is. He lied all over the place to cover it up. He’s either very sick or very dumb. Remember sailor!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018
Comey, himself, declared that he was “grateful for good and tough questions from reporters” in a tweet Thursday.
The last two weeks were a reminder of the vital role of the press and of open-minded, respectful conversation in our lives. I’m grateful for good and tough questions from reporters across the spectrum and around the world. Look forward to more.
— James Comey (@Comey) April 27, 2018
Sean Davis of The Federalist and The Wall Street Journal’s Kimberly Strassel seemed just as perplexed as Baier by Comey’s interview.
Comey pretends in Bret Baier interview he still doesn’t know if Clinton/DNC funded the Steele dossier, then claims with total certainty that Republicans funded the dossier first, because Free Beacon hired/fired Fusion GPS before Steele was hired. Incredible dishonesty.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) April 26, 2018
Comey: I never tried to find out who leaked the briefing of the president-elect. I didn’t try to find out who paid for the dossier we used to get a FISA warrant. I never told the president-elect that the source we used for the FISA warrant lied to the FBI.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) April 26, 2018
It’s difficult to overstate what a disaster this interview is for Comey, both legally and politically. He is wilting in the face of the first real interview he’s faced since releasing his book.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) April 26, 2018
#SpecialReport It is stunning that @Comey says he never bothered to find out who specifically funded the dossier. That didn’t matter to FBI? Stunning too that he still doesn’t know that Republicans had no part in the dossier-funding itself.
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 26, 2018
Actually is stunning overall amount the head of the FBI claims to not have known. Didn’t know Steele’s name; didn’t know he lied to the FBI and was dismissed; didn’t know who funded dossier; didn’t know who leaked it. You gotta ask: Maybe he didn’t want to know? #SpecialReport
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 26, 2018
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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