Former FBI Director James B. Comey said Wednesday that he no longer considers himself a Republican.
“I just think they’ve lost their way, and I can’t be associated with it,” Mr. Comey said on ABC News podcast “Start Here.”
Mr. Comey attributed the change in the party to the 2016 election and said that after he was fired, he started to become more politically aware. He has been a lifelong Republican and said that in today’s party, the only Republican he does respect is former 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney. He called Mr. Romney, who is running for the open Senate seat in Utah, a “person of principle and honor.”
But aside from Mr. Romney, he does not see his personal beliefs reflected in any Republican or the party as a whole.
“I see the Republican Party, as near as I can tell, reflects now entirely Donald Trump’s values,” Mr. Comey said.
“It doesn’t reflect values at all. It’s transactional, it’s ego-driven, it’s in service to his ego. And it’s, I think, consoling itself that we’re going to achieve important policy goals, a tax cut or something,” he added.
Mr. Comey has been on a media tour with his book “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership” out this week, which details his time working for President Trump as well as his tenure at the FBI.
Mr. Comey and the president have had a tense relationship since Mr. Trump fired the FBI director last year. Mr. Comey compared the president to a “mob boss” in an interview with ABC News on Sunday and made negative comments about Mr. Trump’s appearance in his book. Mr. Trump has been responding to Mr. Comey’s comments via Twitter.
Slippery James Comey, the worst FBI Director in history, was not fired because of the phony Russia investigation where, by the way, there was NO COLLUSION (except by the Dems)!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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