CNN political commentator Van Jones suggested on Wednesday that while Democrats may not have a high opinion of former FBI director James Comey, pushing for accusations against him might backfire on the Trump administration.
In an interview with Erin Burnett on CNN, Jones likened the situation to late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s brief hiatus, who recently returned to record ratings. Kimmel had faced backlash after comments he made following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, prompting threats from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Kerr towards his network.
“What I saw with Jimmy Kimmel is that people are beginning to defend the system,” Jones remarked.
“I mean, I don’t care for Comey. Democrats generally don’t. We were the ones who essentially tripped Hillary Clinton in 2016 just when it mattered most,” he continued.
“But searching through old records from 2020 to find out if someone suggested wanting to go to jail? That’s just crazy. It’s the kind of thing you expect from a banana republic chasing after political opponents.”
He also noted that the Department of Justice is reportedly preparing to ask a judge to indict Comey over allegations that he misled Congress nearly five years ago—just days before certain legal restrictions expire.
Comey has been directly associated with the investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election and was dismissed as FBI director during Trump’s first term. Since then, he has been a persistent critic of the president.
Additionally, Comey investigated Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was a presidential candidate and later announced that no criminal charges were recommended just months before the election. However, just weeks prior to the election, he wrote to Congress about new findings regarding emails, which many Democrats blame for Clinton’s eventual loss.
Jones pointed out that Trump has already stumbled by openly expressing a desire to imprison Comey, which could be perceived as selective prosecution. “Today feels like the first day since November because Trump really mishandled the situation surrounding Jimmy Kimmel,” he concluded.
