James Comey says he’s learned about perception from media criticism

Former FBI Director James B. Comey said Friday that he’s learned a lot about perception during his recent book tour.

“What I’ve learned is that sometimes the way I see myself is not the way reasonable, thoughtful people see me,” Mr. Comey said on CBS News.

Mr. Comey’s book “A Higher Loyalty” documents his time at the FBI and his interactions with President Trump. His media interviews and appearances have also garnered a lot of attention, some of it negative, particularly regarding his actions during the 2016 campaign.

“I blew a number of things that I talk about in the book. A lot of them were based on perception where I didn’t anticipate that people would hear my words differently than I intended them,” he said.

Mr. Comey’s role in the Hillary Clinton email investigation, and decision to review the findings and later reopen the investigation so publicly, has been a source of contention for Democrats. Many accuse his actions of playing a major role in Mrs. Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 presidential election.