CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, a frequent defender of President Donald Trump, acknowledged that former FBI Director James Comey should not be incarcerated over a social media post that the Department of Justice claims posed a threat to the president's life.
Jennings Criticizes Comey's Behavior
“I mean, I think Jim Comey has become a silly weirdo with these posts, and the way he acts, he’s become hyperpartisan,” Jennings said Wednesday on “CNN NewsNight.” “I think it actually tarnishes his law enforcement career the way he has acted since he left the job. Does that mean he should go to jail for that? No.”
Comey is facing two federal charges: threatening harm to the president and transmitting a threat across state lines. The charges stem from a now-deleted post last year showing seashells arranged on a beach to read “86 47.” Trump is the 47th U.S. president.
Trump's Reaction
President Trump told reporters Wednesday that the term “86,” commonly used in restaurants to discard an item, is also “a mob term for ‘kill him.’” When asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if he believed his life was truly in danger, Trump responded, “Probably. I don’t know.” He added, “Based on what I’m seeing out there, yeah. People like Comey have created tremendous danger, I think, for politicians and others.”
Jennings, while expressing a dim view of Comey due to his partisan activism, stressed that “it’s not a crime to be a weirdo.” He remarked, “Thank goodness for him. Otherwise, he’d have 1,000 charges,” referring to the former FBI director as “a silly goofball.”
Agreement from a Trump Critic
Trump critic and “The View” co-host Ana Navarro concurred with Jennings’ assessment of Comey’s online conduct. “I do agree. I think the whole Jim Comey walking down the beach and posting seashells, regardless of what he was posting with those seashells, is stupid and unseemly for somebody of his position,” Navarro said.
