1 month ago
The narration betwixt Donald Trump and James Comey has spanned a turbulent decade, opening during nan 2016 statesmanlike run and continuing into Trump’s 2nd presidency pinch repeated investigations and criminal charges.
Comey oversaw inquiries that straight intersected pinch Trump’s governmental goals, first into Hillary Clinton’s usage of a backstage email server, and later into imaginable connections betwixt nan Trump run and Russia. Trump alternately criticized and praised Comey’s actions during nan 2016 race, but erstwhile successful agency their exchanges grew progressively tense, starring up to Comey’s dismissal successful May 2017.
In nan years after, Comey has testified earlier Congress, published a memoir sharply captious of Trump and became a cardinal fig successful debates complete nan independency of rule enforcement.
Trump, successful turn, has continued to onslaught Comey publicly, framing him arsenic a premier illustration of what he sees arsenic governmental bias wrong national agencies. Here is simply a timeline of their chaotic interactions:
October 2015
Comey assured reporters FBI investigators examining Hillary Clinton’s backstage email server “don’t springiness a rip astir politics”, adding “part of doing our activity good is to make judge we don’t talk astir it”.
July 2016
Comey announced no charges would beryllium filed, but said Clinton and her aides were “extremely careless” and that classified accusation “may good person been” exposed to “a dispute actor”. Trump’s run utilized nan determination to reason nan strategy was “rigged”.
Trump tweeted that it “is intolerable for nan FBI not to urge criminal charges against Hillary Clinton”, mounting nan shape for a years-long conflict pinch Comey. He besides claimed that nan deficiency of charges showed that nan strategy was “rigged”.
August 2016
At a rally, Trump urged assignment of a typical charismatic to “investigate Hillary Clinton’s crimes”, saying: “The justness section is required to name an independent typical charismatic because it has proven itself to beryllium really, sadly, a governmental limb of nan White House.”
October 2016
Comey informed Congress that caller emails had surfaced and were nether review: “The FBI has learned of nan beingness of emails that look to beryllium pertinent to nan investigation.” Trump and Republicans seized connected nan news arsenic impervious of Clinton’s “corruption”.
November 2016
Comey said nan reappraisal changed nothing: “Based connected our review, we person not changed our conclusions that we expressed successful July pinch respect to Secretary Clinton.” Trump dismissed nan outcome, again calling nan strategy “rigged”.
Days later, Trump won nan presidency. Neither campaigner mentioned Comey connected predetermination night.
January 2017
At a White House reception, Trump hugged Comey, joking, “He’s go much celebrated than me.”
March 2017
Comey said astatine a conference: “You’re stuck pinch maine for astir six and a half years,” signaling intent to decorativeness his term.
Later that month, Comey publically confirmed an FBI enquiry into “whether location was immoderate coordination betwixt nan [Trump] run and Russia’s efforts”. He promised it would proceed “no matter really agelong that takes”.
May 2017
Trump abruptly fired Comey, officially citing mislaid assurance and his handling of nan Clinton case, though Trump had erstwhile praised Comey’s “guts”. Comey said he learned of his dismissal from watching TV while successful Los Angeles.
Trump said he would person fired Comey sloppy of DoJ proposal and called him a “nut job” to Russian officials. He besides warned: “James Comey amended dream that location are nary ‘tapes’ of our conversations.” A report from nan New York Times later revealed that Trump told Russian officials he fired Comey to easiness unit connected himself complete nan investigation.
June 2017
Ahead of his Senate testimony, Comey stated Trump had sought “loyalty” and asked him to “let it go” successful reference to nan FBI’s investigation into erstwhile nationalist information advisor Michael Flynn a time aft Flynn was fired. Under oath, he said Trump lied astir nan FBI being successful disarray: “Those were lies, plain and simple.”
Trump denied Comey’s claims and said he was “100 percent” consenting to attest nether oath.
April 2018
In his book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, Comey wrote: “This president is unethical, and untethered to truth and organization values. His activity is transactional, ego driven and astir individual loyalty.” He besides compared Trump’s presidency pinch a “forest fire”.
Trump lashed retired online, calling him “Slippery James Comey” and “the WORST FBI Director successful history”.
December 2019
Comey admitted to being responsible for “real sloppiness” complete nan handling of surveillance of a Trump run adviser, but fiercely defended himself and nan bureau against immoderate proposal of governmental bias.
Trump tweeted: “So now Comey’s admitting he was wrong. Wow, but he’s only doing truthful because he sewage caught reddish handed. He was really caught a agelong clip ago. So what are nan consequences for his unlawful conduct. Could it beryllium years successful jail? Where are nan apologies to maine and others, Jim?”
September 2020
Senate Republicans summoned Comey to re-examine nan Russia inquiry. He erstwhile again defended it, saying: “In nan main, it was done by nan book, it was due and it was basal that it beryllium done.”
May 2025
After Trump’s return to nan White House, Comey posted a photo of seashells pronunciation “86 47” (a building often utilized by Trump critics astatine protests, pinch 86 being a slang term for dismissing aliases getting free of someone). He later deleted it, saying he was unaware that nan building had convulsive associations. The Secret Service interrogated him and weeks later surveillance teams tracked his car and phone.
September 2025
A national expansive assemblage indicted Comey for making a mendacious connection and obstructing a legislature proceeding related to his 2020 testimony. Career prosecutors objected to nan indictment. Mark Warner of Virginia, nan apical Democrat connected nan Senate intelligence committee, said it is nan latest motion that nan president is making bully connected his committedness “to move our justness strategy into a limb for punishing and silencing his critics”.
Comey responded successful a video to nan indictment, declaring his innocence and saying: “We will not unrecorded connected our knees, and you shouldn’t either”.
Trump wrote connected Truth Social: “JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” He besides added that he hopes “there will beryllium others” who are prosecuted erstwhile interviewed Friday connected nan southbound section of nan White House.
November 2025
A national judge for nan United States territory tribunal for nan eastbound territory of Virginia ruled to invalidate nan criminal indictments against Comey, on pinch those against Letitia James, nan New York lawyer general. In nan dismissal, US territory tribunal judge Cameron Currie took issue pinch interim US lawyer Lindsay Halligan, saying she had nary lawful authority to indict. The statute of limitations connected charges related to his legislature grounds subsequently expired.
April 2026
The justness section filed caller criminal charges against Comey connected 28 April. Comey was charged complete a image he posted connected Instagram past twelvemonth successful which seashells were arranged to opportunity “86 47”, CNN and nan Associated Press reported. The station was taken arsenic a threat to Trump. The number 86 tin beryllium utilized arsenic shorthand for getting free of something, and Trump is nan 47th president.
