Comey has zero regrets about how he acted during the 2016 election


Former FBI Director James Comey stands by the way he handled himself during the 2016 presidential election.
In a wide-ranging interview with NPR, Comey said that he was put in a "no-win situation," but that he believes he made the right decision when it came to publicly disclosing an FBI investigation into then-candidate Hillary Clinton.
Comey headed up the bureau when it opened an investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server. He made two unprecedented public announcements about the probe: In July 2016, Comey announced that the FBI recommended no criminal charges against Clinton; in October 2016, he disclosed that the FBI had discovered a new set of emails and would reopen the case.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Comey told NPR that he believed he should announce the discovery in order to protect the public's trust in the FBI, but his decision was widely criticized as it defied standard procedure for the FBI. Still, Comey said that he hasn't lost any sleep over his choice to "show transparency to the American people." His regrets include making "thoughtless" statements about the Holocaust in a speech that angered Poland, as well as sounding off on an Apple advertisement that "bugged" him, he said — but not his conduct as FBI chief.
"Once I make a decision — and I always tried to [do so] in a thoughtful way — I'm okay," Comey said. "I'm sleeping well."
The one time he truly felt uneasy? "I woke up in the middle of the night after Donald Trump tweeted at me about tapes," said Comey. Read the full interview at NPR.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
5 cracking cartoons about broken nest eggs
Cartoons Artists take on plummeting value, sound advice, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Mental health: a case of overdiagnosis?
Talking Point
By The Week UK Published
-
The Canadian: taking a sleeper train across Canada
The Week Recommends Unique and unforgettable way to see this 'vast and varied' landscape
By The Week UK Published
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses some tariffs but ramps up China tax
Speed Read The president suspended most 'reciprocal' tariffs for 90 days and raised his tariffs for China to 125%
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine nabs first Chinese troops in Russia war
Speed Read Ukraine claims to have f two Chinese men fighting for Russia
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
IRS chief resigning after ICE deal on taxpayer data
Speed Read Several IRS officials are stepping down after the tax agency is forced to share protected taxpayer records to further Trump's deportation drive
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Musk and Navarro feud as Trump's trade war escalates
Speed Read The spat between DOGE chief Elon Musk and Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro suggests divisions within the president's MAGA coalition
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, China up trade war risks with tariff threats
Speed Read China said it would 'fight to the end' after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published