Sarah Huckabee Sanders: stopped clock
by digby
Let's give her credit. She may be the most dishonest White House press secretary in history but once in a while she does manage to tell the truth:
James Comey’s acknowledgement that he may have subconsciously expected Hillary Clinton to win the presidency when he disclosed days before the 2016 election the reopening of a probe of her emails shows that the then-FBI chief was driven by political motivation and self-interest, a White House spokesperson said.
“The guy knew exactly what he was doing,” White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” on Sunday. “He thought that Hillary Clinton would win, and he thought that this would give him some cover. He made these decisions based on the political landscape and not the facts of the case,” White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” on Sunday.
Yes, that's all true. He thought she was going to win so he went out of his way to show his "independence" a week before the election. But the rules against doing that are there for a reason. He substituted his bad judgment for the judgment of the Department of Justice for his own sake. I don't think there's any other way to see it.
However, watching the Trump White House wring its hands and clutch its pearls is a bit rich considering this:
OCTOBER 28, 2016 – The day Comey announced the FBI was investigating new Clinton emails
“The FBI – after discovering new emails, is re-opening their investigation into Hillary Clinton,” Trump said at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. “I have great respect for the FBI for righting this wrong.” (You can watch him say it, here.)
In the days prior to Comey’s announcement that the FBI was investigating new emails found on a computer belong to Clinton aide Huma Abedin’s husband Anthony Weiner’s computer, Trump made repeated statements on Twitter and at rallies that the election was being rigged against him.
OCTOBER 31, 2016 – Trump holds a rally in Grand Rapids, MI
“You know that. It took a lot of guts. I really disagreed with him. I was not his fan,” Trump said of Comey. “I tell you what, what he did, he brought back his reputation. He brought it back. He's got to hang tough. A lot of people want him to do the wrong thing. What he did was the right thing.”
While speaking to supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump again offered praise for the FBI and this time mentioned Comey by name. Trump said that Comey has effectively saved his reputation by re-investigating Clinton.
On November 6, Trump again criticized Comey at a rally after the then-FBI director again announced no charges would be brought against Clinton.
I don't think people realize just how much of Trump's anger at Comey stemmed from the fact that didn't agree to lock her up. He was thrilled when he sabotaged her campaign in the last week.
So this whole line about how terrible it was that Comey was "covering for himself" by re-opening the campaign is incoherent garbage. Trump praised him in real time for doing just that!
These people are trying to drive us mad. And I think it's working.
Update: By the way, Sarah really needs to have a talk with him about this:
First, he was four years into a ten year term. Second, sabotaging her campaign in the last week of the campaign wouldn't have been a resume builder.
Trump's more addled than usual. Somebody should give him a bottle and put him to bed.
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