James Comey’s Criticism of Donald Trump Adds to U.S. Government’s Credibility Crisis

The latest torrent of criticism by former FBI Director James Comey in his feud with U.S. President Donald Trump has added to the credibility crisis that the current U.S. federal administration headed by the real estate magnate is faced with. Comey’s interview to journalist George Stephanopoulos included the charge that the president was morally unfit to lead the United States and may have obstructed justice. The interview comes as the former FBI director releases a tell-all memoir which chronicles his experience with Donald Trump.

The Five Biggest Criticisms Laid By Comey Against Trump Are:

Morally Unfit: When asked if he considered Mr Trump fit to lead, the former FBI director said he did not believe claims about Mr Trump's mental health, but did see him as "morally unfit" to be president.

"A person who sees moral equivalence in Charlottesville, who talks about and treats women like they're pieces of meat, who lies constantly about matters big and small and insists the American people believe it, that person's not fit to be president of the United States," he told Mr Stephanopoulos.

Personal Loyalty: Comey explains the title of his book, "The title [of the book] comes from a bizarre conversation I had with the President in dinner at the White House in January of last year, where he asked for my loyalty personally as the FBI director." He said, 'I expect loyalty, I need loyalty.'"

Trump has denied he ever asked for Comey's loyalty -- including on Twitter on Sunday! Tweeted Trump: "I never asked Comey for Personal Loyalty. I hardly even knew this guy. Just another of his many lies. His "memos" are self serving and FAKE!"

Obstruction of justice: On being asked about the sacking of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn in February 2017 for lying about contacts with the Russian ambassador in Washington. Comey said Trump had tried to pressure him into dropping any investigation into General Flynn.

"I took it as a direction," he told Mr Stephanopoulos. "He's - his words were, though, 'I hope you can let it go'." Comey said he let the comment pass, but concedes he should perhaps have suggested to the president that it would amount to obstruction of justice.

"It's certainly some evidence of obstruction of justice. It would depend and - and I'm just a witness in this case, not the investigator or prosecutor, it would depend upon other things that reflected on his intent."

Refuses to Criticise Putin: The former FBI Chief revealed, "I discovered President Trump wouldn't even do it (criticize Putin) privately, and I don't know why that is."

Comey suggests here that Trump won't bash Russian President Vladimir Putin in private, which he finds baffling.

“Pee Tapes”: Comey gave an in depth description of his conversations about the ‘Pee tapes’ from the Steele Dossier that Trump had with him. "He was very defensive and started to launch into-- for reasons that I don't understand, started going into the list of people who had accused him of touching them improperly, sexual assault and how he hadn't done this, he hadn't done that, he hadn't done that," said Comey. He added the bombshell about the U.S. President, "I don't know whether the -- the-- current president of the United States was with prostitutes peeing on each other in Moscow in 2013. It's possible, but I don't know."

Is Donald Trump Compromised?: The biggest admission by the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on if the 45^th President of the United States could be blackmailed by a foreign power, he said, "I think it's possible. I don't know. These are more words I never thought I'd utter about a president of the United States, but it's possible."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 17, 2018 10:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).