Former FBI Director James Comey claimed on Monday that Fox News had booked him to appear on one of its shows but cancelled because of the results of the Justice Department inspector general report.
Comey tweeted, “FYI: I offered to go on Fox & Friends to answer all questions. I can’t change their viewers on Donald Trump but hoped to give them some actual facts about the FBI. They booked me for tomorrow at 8 am. They just cancelled. Must have read the report.”
Fox News responded by essentially calling Comey a liar, saying in a statement to The Daily Wire, “James Comey was not booked and was never confirmed to appear on Fox & Friends.”
Comey repeated the false claim during an interview with hyper-partisan MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, saying that “Fox & Friends” had agreed to book him at 8 a.m.
“I figured I can’t change the minds of Fox viewers about President Trump but I can change their minds, I hope, about the FBI by giving them actual facts,” Comey claimed. “Then, after the report came out, they cancelled my appearance. They must have read the report.”
Comey claimed that the network told him, “Maybe we can do it again after the Durham investigation was their answer.”
Numerous Fox News anchors responded to Comey’s apparent false claim by offering to have him on their shows.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier wrote: “We’d love to have you back on @SpecialReport Mr Comey – live or pretape. I have read the report. Just DM me.”
We’d love to have you back on @SpecialReport Mr Comey – live or pretape. I have read the report. Just DM me. https://t.co/QzL7ydtQ7g
— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) December 9, 2019
Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum wrote: “We have reached out to your staff and invited you to come on tonight. Hope you will join us. @TheStoryFNC”
We have reached out to your staff and invited you to come on tonight. Hope you will join us. @TheStoryFNC https://t.co/z0o9Mz43yE
— Martha MacCallum (@marthamaccallum) December 9, 2019
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo wrote: “Why don’t you join @MorningsMaria @FoxBusiness or @SundayFutures @FoxNews we’d love to have you. Lmk”
Why don't you join @MorningsMaria @FoxBusiness or @SundayFutures @FoxNews we'd love to have you. Lmk
— Maria Bartiromo (@MariaBartiromo) December 9, 2019
The IG report stated that Comey ignored an analysis from the CIA on the anti-Trump dossier created by former British Spy Christoper Steele.
The CIA warned the FBI that the dossier was as credible as an “internet rumor” and that it should not be used to obtain a FISA warrant to surveil the Trump campaign:
Starting in December 2016, FBI staff participated in an interagency effort to assess the Russian government’s intentions and actions concerning the 2016 U.S. elections. We learned that whether and how to present Steele’s reporting in the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) was a topic of significant discussion between the FBI and the other agencies participating in it. According to FBI staff, as the interagency editing process for the ICA progressed, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) expressed concern about the lack of vetting for the Steele election reporting and asserted it did not merit inclusion in the body of the report. An FBI Intel Section Chief told us the CIA viewed it as “internet rumor.” In contrast, as we describe in Chapter Six, the FBI, including Comey and McCabe, sought to include the reporting in the ICA. Limited information from the Steele reporting ultimately was presented in an appendix to the ICA.
This report has been updated to include additional information about Comey’s comments on MSNBC.