Comey attacks Trump

Former FBI director James Comey has severely damaged the US president's credibility. Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee he said that Trump repeatedly voiced the hope that the FBI would drop the investigation into his former national security advisor Flynn, who was dismissed over ties to Russia. Will Comey's statements seal Trump's fate?

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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (DE) /

Republicans not ready to drop Trump yet

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung doesn't believe Comey's statements will bring about the president's downfall:

“Trump would have to answer to Congress, and there - as long as nothing more dramatic emerges - it would be first and foremost about political rather than legal considerations. Impeachment proceedings would only be possible if a large number of Republicans were to vote against the president in the House of Representatives and Senate. ... But most of them will be looking at the mood among their voter base. Despite the headwind which Trump faces above all from the left-liberal section of the public, he still has many faithful followers. It's unlikely that his party will abandon him unless he becomes a real threat to its electoral success. And that won't become clear until next year's midterm elections, at the earliest.”

De Volkskrant (NL) /

Comey exposes the liar in White House

Trump won't be able to rid himself of the label 'liar' anytime soon, De Volkskrant comments:

“Negative terms are like a blinking neon sign. ... 'I can say for certain that the president is not a liar', a White House spokeswoman stated yesterday. But in saying that she simply switched on the neon sign. ... This is the man who has been entrusted with leading the free world and has a nuclear arsenal at his fingertips. A liar, out of incompetence, malevolence, a will to cling to power or ignorance - or a combination of all these things. ... One is tempted to see the scandal as thrilling entertainment. A Netflix series that's always taking you where you least expect it to. ... But then Comey reminded us that Russian interference in US domestic politics has nothing to to with party politics and instead harms the system, the country, and an entire way of living.”

Wiener Zeitung (AT) /

Civil servants as guardians of democracy

In future officials will play a greater role in ensuring the rule of law, writes the Wiener Zeitung:

“If anybody, it won't be the media and certainly not the opposition Democrats who get to claim the role of saviour here. If anybody it will be an inconspicuous civil servant like James Comey who stops Donald J. Trump from causing major damage to US democracy. … Naturally the administration's main task is to ensure the smooth functioning of state processes and services. At the same time its responsibility regarding the constitution and the law is growing. Governments are constantly tempted to test how far they can go legally, and to sometimes overstep the limits. As political stability diminishes the civil servants' responsibility to preserve the rule of law is growing.”

Új Szó (SK) /

Europe should learn its lesson

The US must quickly publish details of Russia's interference in the US election campaign, Új Szó urges:

“One thing is for sure: the Russian secret service remains undeterred and its activities are in full swing. The efforts to develop the secret service's instruments and resources for exerting influence on other states are indefatigable. In this context it is extremely important for the US to reveal the details of the cyberattacks linked to last year's presidential election. This information would be highly educational for all European countries where elections are soon to take place. Such a move could prevent any nasty surprises in Europe's various election campaigns.”