James Comey’s Election Day Tweet Is Getting Slammed Right Now

Former FBI Director James Comey posted a 2020 presidential election PSA on Tuesday, and Twitter did not respond kindly. Comey faced disdain from both ends of the political spectrum, and his tweet seemed to unite Americans on Election Day briefly. Comey himself indicated that he was voting for former Vice President Joe Biden.

“Vote for your country,” Comey wrote on Tuesday morning. He included a photo of himself in a Biden Harris 2020 t-shirt, drinking from a Biden Harris mug. However, even the Biden campaign supporters were not pleased with the endorsement, believing that Comey cost Democrats the presidential election in 2016. Meanwhile, supporters of President Donald Trump recalled that Trump fired Comey in 2017 and that Comey has been speaking out against Trump ever since.

Comey will likely hold a confusing place in history for his participation in the United States’ political drama over the last four years. Democrats dislike him because he went public with the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server just two weeks before the 2016 election, yet did not do so with the investigation into Russian interference on Trump’s behalf. However, once Trump took office, Comey appeared to stand up to him, resulting in his dismissal.

Comey wrote a memoir about the whole experience titled A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, published in 2018. Showtime adapted the book into a two-part special last month called The Comey Rule, which got mixed reviews. Still, the response to his tweet made it clear that Americans are still not sure how to feel about Comey. Here is a look at the conversation.

Do More

Many Americans were angry at Comey for promoting voting as the solution to the Trump administration, believing that he could have done more from his position as FBI director before now.

Stay Out of It

People on both ends of the political spectrum advised Comey to “stay out of” the political discourse on Election Day giving his contentious role in Trump’s presidency. Those supporting Trump and Biden alike both have reasons for distrusting Comey and his endorsements.

But Her Emails

Many responders referenced Comey’s part in the 2016 election, when he publicly acknowledged the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server, but not the investigation into Russian interference in the election. They suggested that this “cost the Democrats the election.”

The Comey Rule

Many responses referenced The Comey Rule, the Showtime dramatization of Comey’s dismissal from the White House. It was based on Comey’s memoir, and Comey was played by Jeff Daniels in what many critics called a self-serving narrative.

Bias

Although Comey is no longer a public servant, many commenters thought it was still unprofessional for him to express any political bias on a public forum.

Memory

Some users quipped about Comey’s memory, referencing his congressional testimony in the hearings about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Comey often responded that he “couldn’t recall” the answers to questions he got at the time.

Scapegoat

For better or worse, Americans were united in their distaste for Comey and his commentary on Tuesday. Many acknowledged that he was getting roasted from both sides, and appreciated this slim sign that there was something that could bring Americans together even now.