Even MSNBC’s Peter Alexander was confused as to why Waters said James Comey had no credibility but thinks President Trump made the wrong decision.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said that she would have supported Hillary Clinton if she decided to fire James Comey but did not support President Trump’s decision. Waters’ reasoning made little sense to MSNBC’s Peter Alexander, who had to ask Waters for clarification multiple times during an interview on MSNBC.
MSNBC played a clip from earlier this year when Waters said FBI Director Comey “has no credibility” following a closed-door session with him.
MSNBC’s Peter Alexander asked Waters if she supports President Trump’s decision to fire Comey, given that Waters had previously said she has no faith in Comey.
“No, I do not necessarily support the president’s decision,” Waters told Alexander, citing President Trump’s praise for how Comey handled the investigation into Clinton’s emails.
“But congresswoman, I understand in the past he was praising him, but if you said that FBI Director James Comey had no credibility, wouldn’t you support the fact that the president … made the decision to get rid of him?” Alexander asked Waters.
Waters told Alexander that is not the case, because FBI Director Comey was investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which Waters believes will lead to Trump’s impeachment.
Alexander followed up by asking Waters if she thinks it would have been better to leave in place the FBI director, who Waters had previously said had no credibility, to conduct such an investigation.
Waters dodged the question, redirecting the conversation to how President Trump had said earlier he had confidence in Comey.
“But you said [Comey] had no credibility, so it would make sense that [Trump] get rid of him,” Alexander pressed Waters.
“No,” Waters responded, telling Alexander that President Trump’s firing of Comey amounted to interference in an ongoing investigation.
Alexander then asked Waters if she thinks an FBI director with credibility would have been in a better position to pursue this investigation into Trump’s campaign.
“I think if the president had fired him when he first came in, he would not have to be in a position now where he is trying to make up a story about why. It does not meet the smell test,” Waters told Alexander.
Alexander then asked Waters if she would have recommended that Hillary Clinton fire James Comey, had Clinton won the election.
“Well, let me tell you something. If [Clinton] had won the White House, I believe that given what [Comey] did to her, and what he tried to do, she should have fired him. Yes,” Waters responded forcefully.
“So [Clinton] should have fired [Comey], but [Trump] shouldn’t have fired [Comey]?” Alexander asked Waters. “This is why I’m confused.”
“You’re not confused,” Waters responded.
Alexander said that he is confused, before Waters proceeded to give another confusing answer.