This is what Obama told Comey after Trump's election

Barack Obama.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

At a time when not very many people were nice to him, former FBI Director James Comey says he was consoled by President Barack Obama.

Comey took a lot of heat from Democrats for his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, with many blaming her loss on Comey announcing right before the election that the FBI was looking at new emails that might contain classified information. He writes in his new book, A Higher Loyalty, that after the election, while at a briefing with senators, then-Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) wanted to discuss "what you did to Hillary Clinton," while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told him: "I know you. You were in an impossible position."

Obama told Comey the words he wanted to hear during an Oval Office meeting in late November 2016. It was just the two of them, Comey writes, and Obama told him: "I picked you to be FBI director because of your integrity and your ability. I want you to know that nothing — nothing — has happened in the last year to change my view." Comey said he was close to tears, and responded, "I'm just trying to do the right thing." "I know," Obama replied. "I know."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.