James Comey: ‘Republican Party Needs to Be Burned Down or Changed’
Former FBI Director James Comey, an outspoken opponent of outgoing President Donald Trump, believes the Republican Party “needs to be burned down or changed” moving forward.
While Comey long identified as a Republican, he endorsed Joe Biden last year and now believes the Republican Party needs a complete revamp.
“The Republican party needs to be burned down or changed,” Comey said, according to the Guardian, expressing hope “something is shifting” with a “fault breaking apart, a break between the Trumpists and those people who want to try and build a responsible conservative party.”
“Who would want to be part of an organization that at its core is built on lies and racism and know-nothingism? It’s just not a healthy political organization,” he said, continuing to criticize Trump and those who work with and support him.
“They tell themselves stories like: ‘I’ve got to deal with this to protect the country; because I’m so important to the nation, I’ll make these compromises,'” Comey said.
“And then he’s eaten your soul, it’s too late, and then you’re the attorney general of the United States marching across Lafayette Square thick with choking pepper smoke after protesters have been cleared so the man can hold the Bible up. That’s where you end up,” he continued:
What Donald Trump has done for the last five years is attack the building from the outside to weaken its foundation. He’s withdrawn the control rods, and that’s a recipe for a nuclear disaster, a radioactive release. That’s what you saw on Capitol Hill, our own Chernobyl, when the ugly radioactive violence and racism of America explodes in public view.
Despite his clear contempt for Trump, Comey reiterated he does not believe it is in the “best interests” of the country for lawmakers to create “daily drama in our nation’s capital for three years as part of the United States versus Trump.”
That, Comey warned, would “give him the oxygen and the attention that he so craves and make it so much harder for a new president to heal the country both spiritually and physically, and to get some people out of the fog of lies that they’re trapped in.”
Rather, the Senate should convict him and allow “prosecutors in New York pursue him for the fraudster he was before he took office,” Comey concluded.
“That mixture accommodates the important public interest of the rule of law being asserted, but doesn’t do it in a way that makes it impossible for a new president to move the country on,” he added, noting his optimism for the future and describing America as a “wonderful, complicated, screwed-up country,” that is “always getting better.”
During an appearance on BBC Newsnight last week, Comey said he “obviously believes” Trump should be in jail but added Biden should “consider” pardoning him so the country can move forward:
“Donald Trump belongs in jail.”
Ex-FBI Director @Comey says while he “obviously believes” the president should be in jail, he doesn’t think “pursuing that is in the best interests of the American people”, adding Joe Biden should "consider" pardoning Donald Trump#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/RUghKyq5nW
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) January 13, 2021
“Now I don’t know whether Donald Trump, he’s not a genius, but he might figure out that [if] he accepts a pardon, that’s an omission of guilt, the United States Supreme Court has said,” Comey said.
“But as part of healing the country and getting us to a place where we can focus on things that are going to matter over the next four years, I think Joe Biden is going to have to at least think about that,” he added.
The direction of the GOP in the post-Trump presidency remains a looming question among lawmakers, many of whom remain staunch allies of Trump and his Make America Great Agenda.
It remains unclear what role Trump will play in leading the Republican Party moving forward, but a Washington Post/ABC poll released last week showed that the majority of U.S. adults, or 69 percent, believe GOP leadership should take the party in a different direction.
However, a majority among Republican leaners, 57 percent, believe GOP leadership should continue to follow Trump’s leadership.
President Donald Trump Delivers Farewell Address: ‘I Took On the Toughest Battles’
President Donald Trump delivered his farewell address on Tuesday, urging Americans to carry on the principles he fought for during his presidency.
“I did not seek the easiest course. By far, it was actually the most difficult,” Trump said as he reflected on his presidency.
The president spoke for nearly 20 minutes in a pre-recorded video released on YouTube Tuesday afternoon prior to his departure from the White House on Wednesday morning.
“I did not seek the path that would get the least criticism,” he continued. “I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices because that’s what you elected me to do.”
Trump spoke about the nature of his presidency, describing himself as the first “true outsider” to get elected that believed that the United States government should work for its citizens first.
“I fought for you. I fought for your family. I fought for your country,” he said.
The president did not use President-elect Joe Biden’s name in his statement, referring to him only as part of an incoming “new administration.”
He said he would pray for the administration’s success to keep America “safe and prosperous.”
“And we also want them to have luck, a very important word,” he continued.
The president condemned the riots on Capitol Hill after he urged supporters to protest the 2020 presidential election, which was later certified for Biden.
“All Americans were horrified by the assault on our capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated.”
Trump said that Americans should rise above the “partisan rancor” in the ongoing debate over ideas and unite for the sake of the country.
“We must never forget that while Americans will always have our disagreements, we are a nation of incredible, decent, faithful, and peace-loving citizens who all want our country to thrive and flourish,” he said.
That debate, he noted, should not be censored, as he alluded to social media companies deplatforming his accounts.
“At the center of this heritage is also a robust belief in free expression, free speech, and open debate,” he said.
He continued, “Only if we forget who we are and how we got here could we ever allow political censorship and blacklisting to take place in America. It’s not even thinkable.”
Trump spoke about his many accomplishments before the country was “hit with the China virus” including unprecedented domestic achievements on trade, economic growth, and energy production.
“The American dream was restored and millions were lifted from poverty in just a few short years,” Trump said. “It was a miracle.”
He also spoke about fixing broken trade deals, withdrawing from the Paris climate accords, the Iran nuclear deal, and putting tariffs on China which resulted in the first stages of a trade deal.
Trump also celebrated his achievements on border security.
“For years, the American people pleaded with Washington to finally secure the nation’s borders. I’m pleased to say we answered that plea and achieved the most secure border in US history.”
He also spoke about his efforts to bring the troops home from foreign wars and his achievements in improving medical care for military veterans.
“I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars,” he said.
The president did not speak about his political future but said the America First movement that he started was “only just beginning.”
“There’s never been anything like it,” he said.
Trump said that he did everything that he came to Washington to do and “so much more.”
“I go from this majestic place with a loyal and joyful heart and optimistic spirit, and a supreme confidence that, for our country and for our children, the best is yet to come,” he concluded. “Thank you and farewell.”
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