Trump and I share one opinion: don’t like James Comey. Trump because Comey, as FBI director, refused to halt its investigation of 2016 Russian election meddling. I because Comey actually got Trump elected.
Trump’s mind is so addled he doesn’t see that. But Comey in 2016 made public the Hillary Clinton email investigation, and not the FBI’s investigating Trump’s campaign. Then, days before the election, Comey announced reopening (on dubious grounds) the Clinton probe — sinking her candidacy.
Thanks a lot, Comey.
Yet Trump’s animus toward Comey is so deranged he’s openly leaned on the Justice Department to gin up some criminal case against him. The first attempt was so defective it was tossed right out of court.
Now they’ve tried again.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (formerly in Trump’s pay) made a point of publicly stressing the seriousness of Comey’s alleged crime, insisting the DOJ would never fail to prosecute such horrors.
And what exactly is Comey now charged with?
Posting on social media a photo of some seashells he saw on a beach. I kid you not. That’s it.
The shells were arranged to say “8647.” This the DOJ deems a presidential assassination threat.
I’ve written about this before; see my past explication. In brief, “86” is slang for “get rid of,” and “47” arguably refers to the 47th president.
Comey’s responded by claiming innocence. Saying he’d quickly removed the post, and had no idea it could be seen as advocating violence. Almost remorseful.
A pathetically weak response that confirms my low view of Comey.
Here’s what he should have said:
“This indictment is a fucking outrage. To say I was advocating violence is just preposterous. No reasonable person could think that. But the DOJ is run by sick sycophants of an insane president.
“If I actually wanted him dead, would this be my method??
“And this after years of screeching about a supposedly politicized and weaponized justice system. When in reality Trump, far from being ‘treated very unfairly,’ got ‘away with murder,’ paying no price for his many transgressions. He’s the one politicizing justice.
“And indeed the one threatening political opponents with violence. He’s literally said he’d love to see Liz Cheney shot in the face. And that Mark Kelly should be hanged.
“This indictment is furthermore a gross violation of the First Amendment’s free speech guarantee. While courts have ruled that doesn’t cover real threats of violence, the bar for that is high. My seashell photo doesn’t remotely come close. Surely I had a right to advocate getting rid of a president — there are, after all, lawful ways.
“The real criminals here are Trump and Blanche and anyone else with a hand in this disgusting travesty.
“86 all of them!”
