Trump and RNC Drive Comey From the Republican Party

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Lifelong Republican James Comey has decided he’s had enough of the Grand Old Party. During a podcast interview he stated that recent events, especially the unprecedented attacks on him by the Republican National Committee (RNC), had convinced him to leave the party. Needless to say, with Trump in charge, the party is no longer either conservative or the party of fiscal responsibility.

Comey said that he made his decision after the White House, Congress and the RNC cast aspersions upon his character and veracity, which for a “straight arrow” former FBI director was just too much. When the RNC launched its website named “Lyin’ Comey” he realized that he could not be part of such an organization anymore.

According to him, the Republican Party has turned into a Trump party. Comey said that the evolution of the GOP has “probably been over the Trump presidency” and his followers.

Brad Mielke, the host of the “Start Here” podcast on ABC asked the former FBI Director, “In your heart of hearts, do you still consider yourself a Republican?”

“No,” Comey replied. “The Republican Party has left me and many others. I need no better evidence than their new website — which I think is ‘LyinComey,’ maybe? — attacking me. … I just think they’ve lost their way, and I can’t be associated with it.”

“When did you see that change take place?” Mielke asked.

“Probably over the Trump presidency, and, probably began during the campaign of ’16?” Comey said. “Came to the conclusion that these people don’t represent anything I believe in.”

“I see the Republican Party, as near as I can tell, reflects now entirely Donald Trump’s values,” Comey explained. “It doesn’t reflect values at all. It’s transactional, it’s ego-driven, it’s in service to his ego. And it’s, I think, consoling itself that we’re going to achieve important policy goals — a tax cut or something.”

Comey represents two trends in American politics. One is that more and more people are identifying as independents with no party affiliation. But the other trend, which has major implications for this fall’s midterm elections, is that many Americans of all ages are leaving the Republican Party.

When conservatives like James Comey reject the GOP brand you know it is in trouble. All that’s left in the Republican’s “big tent” are those who follow the cult of Trump’s personality, which represents the worst in American society.

James Comey’s announcement that he’s abandoning the Republican Party is just one more indication that they are heading for an electoral disaster in November.

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Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.