U.S. President Donald Trump attacked former FBI Director James Comey on Friday as a “weak and untruthful slime ball,” reacting to news accounts that cited Comey as searingly critical of the president in a memoir due to be published next week.
“It was my great honor to fire James Comey!” Trump said in a series of angry Twitter messages, adding he had been a terrible FBI director.
Trump fired Comey last May and has publicly criticized him since then, but not to this extent. His virulent attack reflected months of simmering anger against a career law enforcement bureaucrat who has emerged as one of his fiercest opponents.
Comey had been investigating allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between Russians and the Trump campaign. His firing led to the Justice Department appointing Special Counsel Robert Mueller to take over the Russia investigation.
Trump has denied any collusion, but the Russia probe has been an open sore on his presidency.
“James Comey is a proven LEAKER & LIAR,” Trump said. He also accused Comey of lying to Congress, apparently referring to Comey’s Senate testimony last June, when he said he needed to get his account of his conversations with Trump in the public sphere in the hope it might prompt the appointment of a special counsel.
Comey told lawmakers he had given copies of his memo memorializing his talks with Trump to people outside the Justice Department and asked a friend to share its contents with a journalist.
