How James Comey became king of the subtweet with his hidden attacks on Trump
Former FBI director keeps busy on social media since dismissal by Donald Trump.
Former FBI director James Comey's latest tweet is being read as a dig at the man who fired him, President Donald Trump.
Tweeting late last night (November 29) Comey published a quote attributed to former British prime minister Winston Churchill:
“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.†- Winston Churchill
— James Comey (@Comey) November 30, 2017
For many, that is a sly attack on Comey's former boss.
Trump has made the news, yet again, after he shared vicious anti-Muslim videos on Twitter attributed to far-right group Britain First.
Trump's latest Twitter outburst is surprising even by the standards he has set since the start of his term in January.
The videos have been widely condemned by public figures including Theresa May. Some critics said the clips are factually incorrect.
Comey himself has been tweeting sporadically for the past few months, often in response to controversies contrived by the president. On November 25, Comey tweeted a 1786 Thomas Jefferson quote about the importance of a free press:
“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.†- Thomas Jefferson, Jan. 28, 1786 pic.twitter.com/LEvy1hHRPI
— James Comey (@Comey) November 25, 2017
That came directly after a tweet by the POTUS which praised Fox News and derided his long-time adversary CNN.
.@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2017
That tweet prompted CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour and others to speak out in defence of their colleagues at the station:
If President Trump knew the facts, he would never have sent that tweet. Here is my (late) camerawoman Margaret Moth, who took a bullet in the face covering the facts and truth in Bosnia. #FactsFirst 🎠pic.twitter.com/H4KXpM6iUB
— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) November 26, 2017
Thinking about @cnni and my brave and hard-working colleagues there who cover famines and wars and politics and terrorism and everything else. Amazing men and women, thank you for your continued excellence. https://t.co/9sVaB0z4Li
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 25, 2017
Earlier this month, Comey announced he was an official user of Twitter using the @Comey handle but also confirmed that he had been using the platform anonymously for a number of years.
Here’s my new handle. Glad to be part of the Twitterverse. Grateful to Reinhold for the cover these last few years.
— James Comey (@Comey) November 6, 2017
Reinhold Niebuhr was the name attributed to his former @Formerbu account and referenced a 20<sup>th century theologian and pastor.
“A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.†Arnold H. Glasow(1905-1998)
— James Comey (@Comey) November 19, 2017
