WASHINGTON, D.C. - In his first televised interview since President Trump fired him last year, James Comey called Trump "morally unfit to be President."
The former FBI director's remarks came during a wide-ranging, exclusive interview with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday evening. The media appearance kicked off a publicity tour to promote the release of Comey's new book, "A Higher Loyalty," which paints a scathing portrait of the President.
"Our President must embody respect and adhere to the values that are at the core of this country," Comey told Stephanopoulos, adding, "the most important being truth. This President is not able to do that. He is morally unfit to be President."
The former FBI director went on to say that a person "who talks about and treats women like they're pieces of meat, who lies, constantly, about matters big and small, and insists that the American people believe it -- that person is not fit to be president of the United States on moral grounds."
But Comey said he does not want to see Trump impeached. When Stephanopoulos asked the former FBI director if Trump should be impeached, Comey said, "I hope not, because I think impeaching and removing Donald Trump from office would let the American people off the hook -- people in this country need to stand up, go to the voting booth, and vote their values. Impeachment, in a way, would short-circuit that."
