FBI director mocked for roller-coaster announcements in final days of election
FBI Director James Comey’s latest big announcement was derided on Sunday for undercutting his previous one, which had threatened to upend the presidential race a little more than a week ago.
At the end of last month, Comey sent a bombshell letter to Congress declaring that newly discovered emails might be “pertinent” to the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server as secretary of state. But on Sunday, just days before Election Day, Comey sent another letter saying that FBI agents had reviewed all of the emails to or from Clinton and had found nothing to change his position on the long-closed probe.
The Clinton campaign was quick to react to the news.
“We have seen Director Comey’s latest letter,” communications director Jennifer Palmieri told reporters aboard the Clinton campaign plane. “We are glad to see that he has found, as we were confident that he would, that he has confirmed the conclusion that he reached in July, and we’re glad that this matter is resolved.”
Comey announcement means it's time for media to stop listening to crap Rudy Giuliani peddles from his bogus FBI sources.
— Joel Benenson (@benensonj) November 6, 2016
“We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited,” Brian Fallon, the Clinton campaign’s press secretary, tweeted. “Now Director Comey has confirmed it.”
We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited. Now Director Comey has confirmed ithttps://t.co/BMQQx9eRzw
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) November 6, 2016
Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump’s campaign director, questioned Fallon’s conclusion.
Then why did you, your colleagues, and your candidate attack Comey and his credibility? https://t.co/GjPeV8pWsr
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 6, 2016
If FBI conclusions remain unchanged, that means she still was reckless & careless, still lied about classified info, lied re: # of devices
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 6, 2016
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of Trump’s top surrogates, fired off several tweets expressing his disbelief.
Comey must be under enormous political pressure to cave like this and announce something he cant possibly know.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 6, 2016
The destruction of James Comey by political pressure is painful to watch. He is being twisted into an indefensible pretzel of contradictions
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 6, 2016
The reaction was swift elsewhere on Twitter, with many on both sides of the political aisle eager to mock the FBI director for injecting himself into the presidential race for essentially no reason.
JESUS CHRIST!!!! Now Comey announces FBI has not changed its assessment based on new emails. He threw the election in2 chaos FOR NOTHING!!!
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 6, 2016
Comey letter was a Clinton scandal in miniature: Hubris, disaster, leaks, rumors of indictment, then… never mind.
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) November 6, 2016
James Comey drops a bomb one week before the vote and, it appears, NOTHING will change in the email case https://t.co/bAK74c87Ga
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) November 6, 2016
The @FBI has lost the respect of the American people and James Comey has lost the confidence of both Democrats & Republicans.
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) November 6, 2016
"HEY EVERYONE THERE MAY BE A FIRE I'LL CHECK HEY EVERYONE I CHECKED NO FIRE APPRECIATE THE CONGRATS"
-James Comey in a crowded theater— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) November 6, 2016
To state the obvious- if review could've been finished in a week, #Comey should never have written the first letter
— Michael Smerconish (@smerconish) November 6, 2016
Wow! FBI Director Comey is a speed reader! Went through all 650,000 emails in one week. That's amazing. #VoteTrump Drain The Swamp.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) November 6, 2016
Comey throws a grenade into the campaign waits a week then says oh never mind it's nothing
— mia farrow (@MiaFarrow) November 6, 2016
"j/k" – Director Comey
— Chase Whiteside (@cwhiteside) November 6, 2016
Even Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand and Cher chimed in.
How convenient that Comey announces Hillary's exoneration from an erroneous investigation after all the Sunday news shows have aired.
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) November 6, 2016
BREAKING NEWS: FBI CONFIRMED to congress TODAY there's NO criminal grounds for reasonable prosecution in relation to Clinton emails. RT RT!
— #VoteHillary (@ladygaga) November 6, 2016
FBI DIRECTOR COMEY JUST SAID,HILLARY DID NOTHING WRONG‼️HIS LACK OF JUDGMENT 4LAST TEN DAYS
COULD HAVE COST HER THE PRESIDENCY,4 NOTHING????— Cher (@cher) November 6, 2016
Others anticipated partisan shape shifting in the hours to come.
Okay, everyone, switch positions on Comey in 3… 2… 1… https://t.co/hjj2eDIcSW
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) November 6, 2016
So is Comey a hack or hero again? I can't ever keep track.
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) November 6, 2016
Now Ds who were savaging Comey a few days ago will praise him & GOPers who were behind him will turn on him again. https://t.co/WGsT8fp1rf
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 6, 2016
Advice for Jim Comey: Get a dog; it's only friend you'll have in DC; GOP and Dems have both been outraged by his actions during election.
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) November 6, 2016
Trump: The election is rigged!
Comey: We have found more emails.
Trump: It's not rigged!
Comey: Just kidding.
Trump: It's rigged again!— MATTY ICE (@FailGOP) November 6, 2016
Matt Drudge, founder of the popular conservative Drudge Report website, predicted a buzzy two days ahead.
Comey's head-fake fake just made the hornets nest even crazier! 48 hours of madness upcoming!!
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) November 6, 2016