James Comey sat with former White House press secretary Jen Psaki and said: "Think about what four years of a retribution presidency might look like. He could order the investigation and prosecution of individuals who he sees as enemies" as if he was trying to scare Trump supporters out of voting for him. Many Trump supporters believe America was better off under Trump's leadership opposed to President Joe Biden and the 'woke circus' that's happening in the White House.
The video was transcribed by Real Clear Politics:
JEN PSAKI: You’ve -- you’ve said that the Mar-a-Lago documents case is the strongest against Trump and there’s new reporting, prosecutors reporting from 2021 in which Trump acknowledge he knowingly retained documents that he knew were classified. If you were prosecuting him or just giving your experience, how would you use that evidence to help the case? How much does it help a case like that?
JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: Yeah, I once said without planning it, lordy, I hope there are tapes.
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No, I know, and I’ve heard a thousand times since. But tapes are amazing for a prosecutor because you can’t cross examine a tape. You can’t call a tape a liar, a deep state operative. A tape is you saying what you think, which is why they’re so valuable in organized crime case, and there will be so valuable and important to Jack Smith in this documents case.
I don’t know where the case will end up. But it makes it immeasurably stronger to have the subject of the investigation saying in a way that that can’t be impeached -- no pun intended, with Trump -- can’t be criticized and undermine because it’s coming from his own mouth. That’s why I once said, lordy, I hope there are tapes. And, lordy, it’s a good thing that there are tapes.
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PSAKI: Knowing what you know about Trump and how he operates and acts, I mean, few people have, you know, dove so closely into his mind in some ways, what advice would you give Jack Smith about how to approach this or what to be mindful of?
COMEY: I’m not sure that he needs any. I don't know Jack Smith, never met him, but he doesn’t any advice because he knows, because he’s already started, that Trump comes for the rule of law, the system of justice and the agencies with a flame thrower. He will come and try to criticize and attack your family, your witnesses.
There are no limits to what he will try to do to obstruct an effort to hold him accountable. But I’m sure they’re prepared for that.
It’s one of the reasons I’m sure they're being careful to make sure all of their I’s are dotted and T's are crossed, if they're planning to charge this case.
PSAKI: You know what it’s like to lead politically sensitive investigations around a campaign. Given the current timetable of the cases and the potential cases against Trump which there are multiple, he could be the presumptive nominee before any of these even go to trial.
How concerning is that to you?
COMEY: It’s concerning to a prosecutor leading investigation and to the FBI, because despite history, we desperately don’t want to be involved in an election time investigations and near them. And so, they are feeling something else that we won’t be talked about publicly, but I just know the system. They are feeling intense pressure to move, to move, to move, so they’re not in the position to making a charging decision next year, when Donald Trump may be the nominee.
So I think they are likely working very, very hard and trying to get ahead of where even the normal pace of the investigation might be.
PSAKI: Can you envision a scenario where Trump manages to win back the White House and justice is delayed?
COMEY: I could. I don’t -- I don't want to, but I could. I mean, it’s a crazy world that Donald Trump has dragged this country into, but he could be wearing an ankle brace while accepting the nomination at the Republican convention.
PSAKI: And could be wearing an ankle bracelet and be elected in November?
COMEY: Yeah. We could have -- it would be rejected if you put in a script for a show. But you could have a president who is potentially incarcerated, when he's elected president. So, that would be weird and awkward and it seems even crazy to be coming out of my mouth, but that’s a situation we face.
It looks like the Republicans likely nominate someone who is under serious criminal investigation, is indicted. And who knows what that’s going to lead us?
PSAKI: But if he is elected and sworn in as a president, would they pause -- would the precedent be that they pause activity or consideration of these legal cases? Or is that up to the jurisdiction of the law enforcement officials at the time?
COMEY: Yeah, there’s no precedent whatsoever that I’m aware of. We've never contemplated electing again someone like Donald Trump. So I don't know what would happen.
It’s -- the federal government doesn’t control the Manhattan D.A. or the Fulton County D.A. And so, none of the normal traditions and norms around respecting the office of the presidency, and not distracting the president’s criminal charges on the federal level, none of those would be implicated. And I can’t imagine a circumstance where the Department of Justice wouldn't -- if they're going to charge him, wouldn't have done it so far in advance that we’d have a resolution before he took office.
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Yeah, there’s no precedent whatsoever that I’m aware of. We've never contemplated electing again someone like Donald Trump. So I don't know what would happen.
It’s -- the federal government doesn’t control the Manhattan D.A. or the Fulton County D.A. And so, none of the normal traditions and norms around respecting the office of the presidency, and not distracting the president’s criminal charges on the federal level, none of those would be implicated. And I can’t imagine a circumstance where the Department of Justice wouldn't -- if they're going to charge him, wouldn't have done it so far in advance that we’d have a resolution before he took office.
PSAKI: So, do it in time, do it this summer. Not -- you don't have insight into this, but do it this summer. That would mean that they could complete the cases before he were to take -- he would to take office?
COMEY: Yes. I don't know anything obviously. But I would predict your summer will be -- don’t plan any long vacations as a journalist.
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Think about what four years of a retribution presidency might look like. He could order the investigation and prosecution of individuals, who he sees as enemies. I’m sure I’m on the enemies list, because the president constitutionally does oversee the executive branch entirely, which includes the Department of Justice, prosecutors and investigators. And so, he could commission, direct that individuals be pursued.
He could also direct all kinds of other conduct that people would maybe take to courts to try to stop but who enforces court orders? Mostly the United States Marshal Service which is part of the executive branch and reports to the president.
So President Trump could say, I don't care what the Supreme Court says or these district judges says. I’m telling the Marshal Service, don’t enforce that court order.
And so, our Constitution really does give a rogue president, which is what this would be, tremendous power to destroy. And so, that's why I’m trying to warn people, given the way he said he intends to operate if he’s reelected, this will be something we could never have imagined.
Again, it seems like science fiction in a way. But this would another four years of Donald Trump really promises, which is why people criticize CNN for their town hall. I want the American people to stare at the threat that we’re facing, and understand that they cannot take the next election off.
