I spoke with BBC radio outlets on Thursday, assessing former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about Donald Trump and the Trump-Russia inquiry.
The discussions consider how much damage Comey has caused Trump, politically and legally, and what happens next.
See also Podcast: Why Comey’s Testimony Threatens Trump
Listen to Discussion with BBC Ulster
I joined Leslie Vinjamuri of Chatham House to consider whether Comey had effectively set out the case that Trump obstructed justice, explaining what the significance from both political and legal perspectives.
I think the Republicans know that Trump may have crossed the line and obstructed justice, but they’re very scared about what damage this could cause them and therefore they are trying to make this about James Comey’s behavior rather than Donald Trump and his — if not criminal — possibly impeachable behavior.
Listen to Discussion with BBC London
This is only the start of the story, not the end….
I think Comey came across, not as someone who is trying to say that he is absolutely right, that he did everything perfectly, but as someone expressing the moments where he wavered. I think that damages Trump further….
This is death by a 1000 political cuts. Comey’s testimony comes after months of a steady stream of stories,
some of them about the Trump-Russia investigation, some of them about Trump’s associates, some of them about his character. We won’t wake up tomorrow morning to impeachment being started, but this Administration is increasingly on the defensive, probably unable to get any major legislation through, and Trump will get more and more agitated and prone to more mistakes….Trump’s gone within a year, either because of health or because of impeachment.