Former FBI Director James Comey told CNN in the months before his indictment that President Trump couldn’t “get over” him.
“I often joke I’m the relationship that Trump can’t get over, wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about me and how I’m living my best life,” Comey said in a May 2025 interview that aired on a Friday segment of “The Arena with Kasie Hunt.”
“I think it has some combination of I really have had a happy, productive life since then and that I spoke out about him, and that despite their absolute best efforts, they were never able to get me,” Comey continued.
Comey was indicted Thursday on two federal charges stemming from his 2020 Senate testimony regarding Trump’s alleged 2016 campaign ties with Russia. The Justice Department indicted Comey on charges of perjury and obstruction, alleging that he had provided false statements to Congress and obstructed a congressional proceeding.
The charges followed Trump’s increasing pressure on the Justice Department to prosecute his political opponents. Last weekend, Trump publicly called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring cases against Comey and other perceived adversaries.
Trump said Friday that he hopes “there are others” who will face charges, accusing Democrats of previously “weaponizing the Justice Department like nobody in history.”
He also has called Comey a “dirty cop,” including in a Friday evening post on Truth Social.
The president has long described reports of his campaign’s ties with Russia as a “witch hunt” and a “hoax,” often blaming Comey for the investigation. He fired the former FBI director in 2017 during the bureau’s investigation and has previously called for charges to be brought against Comey.
In his CNN interview, Comey acknowledged his controversial status in the MAGA movement.
“I’m still considered a villain in MAGA World,” he said. “Hope I said that correctly, although I’ve offended enough people in MAGA World, it doesn’t matter at this point.”
Following his indictment, Comey professed his innocence in a video posted to Instagram.
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system,” he said. “And I’m innocent. So, let’s have a trial. And keep the faith.”