James Comey tells Irish audience he’s ‘ashamed’ of U.S. immigration policy: Report

Former FBI Director James Comey told an Irish audience on Friday that he is “disgusted,” “horrified,” and “ashamed” of the United States’ immigration policies, saying that he weighed telling people he’s from Canada.

Speaking in Ireland to promote his book, “A Higher Loyalty,” made he comments in a public interview in Dublin, according to the Irish Times, which first reported the story.

He blasted the United States and, in particular, President Trump for the administration’s policy of placing immigrant children in holding centers away from their parents. The country has faced mounting criticism for the policy, which Mr. Trump ended this week with an executive order.

“I am ashamed of the way my country has acted with respect of those those children. “I am disgusted, I am horrified, I am embarrassed, I am ashamed,” Mr. Comey said.

Later Mr. Comey said in an interview that wanted to tell Irish customs officials that he wanted to tell people he’s Canadian.

“My wife and I were joking, not really joking; we wanted to tell the people on the customs line coming here that we were Canadian,” he said. “And we were joking but its funny because it reveals a truth: I’m ashamed.”

Mr. Comey also defended his handling of the Clinton email investigation, which recently came under scrutiny by the Justice Department’s inspector general. The inspector general concluded the fired FBI director was insubordinate and deviated from standard practices during the probe.

He told the crowd that his decision to reopen the investigation just days before the election was not motivated by politics. Many on the left have blamed Mr. Comey’s reopening of the probe for Ms. Clinton’s loss.

During the roughly hour-long interview, Mr. Comey also repeated his usual criticisms of President Trump. The two have sparred publicly with each taking shots the other since Mr. Trump fired the ex-FBI director last May.

Mr. Comey told the Irish audience that Mr. Trump is “morally unqualified for office.” He concluded his interview, by saying he is confident the United States will withstand any “political fevers,” according to the Irish Times.

“The rule of law is the spine,” he said. “No president serves long enough to screw that up. Donald Trump, even if were competent could not screw that up.”