What’s happening in the political world:
Trump slams "untruthful slime ball" Comey days before exclusive interview
-- James Comey’s exclusive interview with ABC News does not air until Sunday night, but that has not stopped President Trump from attacking the former FBI director he fired last year.
Clips of Comey’s interview and excerpts from his upcoming book "A Higher Loyalty" have come to light in recent days. The ex-FBI head's book, according to media outlets that have obtained advanced copies, offers details into his dealings with Trump and the events that led to his eventual firing. Comey also speaks on his handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe.
On Friday morning, it was Trump's turn to speak on Comey. He tweeted: “James Comey is a proven LEAKER & LIAR. Virtually everyone in Washington thought he should be fired for the terrible job he did-until he was, in fact, fired. He leaked CLASSIFIED information, for which he should be prosecuted. He lied to Congress under OATH. He is a weak and.....”
James Comey is a proven LEAKER & LIAR. Virtually everyone in Washington thought he should be fired for the terrible job he did-until he was, in fact, fired. He leaked CLASSIFIED information, for which he should be prosecuted. He lied to Congress under OATH. He is a weak and.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2018
“....untruthful slime ball who was, as time has proven, a terrible Director of the FBI. His handling of the Crooked Hillary Clinton case, and the events surrounding it, will go down as one of the worst “botch jobs” of history. It was my great honor to fire James Comey!”
....untruthful slime ball who was, as time has proven, a terrible Director of the FBI. His handling of the Crooked Hillary Clinton case, and the events surrounding it, will go down as one of the worst “botch jobs” of history. It was my great honor to fire James Comey!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2018
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also weighed in on Twitter Friday:
One of the few areas of true bipartisan consensus in Washington is Comey has no credibility-> https://t.co/HblT75ESAY via @YouTube
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) April 13, 2018
The Republican National Committee created the website LyinComey.com as a way to combat and counter the statements Comey makes in the interview and memoir.
Trump says San Diego “pushing really hard” for border wall
-- President Trump Friday once again called for the construction for his border wall project and said San Diego people are “pushing really hard to get it.”
In a tweet Friday morning, Trump said: “Tremendous pressure is building, like never before, for the Border Wall and an end to crime cradling Sanctuary Cities. Started the Wall in San Diego, where the people were pushing really hard to get it. They will soon be protected!”
Tremendous pressure is building, like never before, for the Border Wall and an end to crime cradling Sanctuary Cities. Started the Wall in San Diego, where the people were pushing really hard to get it. They will soon be protected!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2018
Trump did not further elaborate on his statement.
In March, Trump visited San Diego and toured border wall prototypes in Otay Mesa.
Comey book details post-election meeting with Obama
-- Then-President Barack Obama reassured then-FBI Director James Comey of his support after the 2016 election during a private meeting in the Oval Office, Comey writes in his upcoming book.
Comey recalls that during the meeting, in late November 2016, Obama told him, "I picked you to be FBI director because of your integrity and your ability. I want you to know that nothing -- nothing -- has happened in the last year to change my view."
CNN obtained a copy of the book and corroborated news reports about Comey's highly anticipated recounting of his time in the Trump administration.
Comey had been widely criticized for his handling of Hillary Clinton's email server investigation when he announced just before the presidential election that the FBI was reopening the probe. In the days leading up the election, he announced there were no new developments, but Clinton has said Comey's actions contributed to her loss.
"He, I think, forever changed history," Clinton said about Comey in an interview about her memoir with CNN's Anderson Cooper in September 2017.
Additionally, Comey writes in his book that his handling of the email probe could have been affected by the general assumption that Clinton would win the election.
"It is entirely possible," Comey writes, that "my concern about making her an illegitimate president by concealing the restarted investigation bore greater weight than it would have if the election appeared closer or if Donald Trump were ahead in all polls. But I don't know."
White House official says Trump likely to pardon Scooter Libby
-- President Trump is expected to grant a pardon to Scooter Libby, who was the chief of staff to then-Vice President Dick Cheney, a White House official said.
Libby had been convicted of perjury in the investigation into who leaked the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame.
President George W. Bush had commuted the sentence but would not grant a pardon.
CNN contributed to this report
