( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: INFORMATION, WE'RE BACK HERE WITH FORMER F.B.I.
DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY.
HE'S GOT A GREAT NEW BOOK, "A HIGHER LOYALALITY: TRUTH, LIES,
AND LEADERSHIP.
READ IT, IT'S REALLY GOOD.
LET'S DO A QUICK LIGHTNING ROUND.
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTE HERE.
YOU WENT IN, IN JANUARY OF 2017 TO TELL PRESIDENT TRUMP ABOUT
THE STEELE DOSSIER.
HOW DID YOU TELL HIM THAT THERE WAS A-- AND I WANT TO PUT THIS
DELICATELY-- PEE PEE TAPE.
HOW DID YOU TELL HIM ABOUT THAT RUMOR?
>> I SPOKE ABOUT INFORMATION, UNVERIFIED, THAT RELATED TO AN
ALLEGATION THAT HE WAS WITH PROSTITUTES IN A HOTEL IN
MOSCOW, AND THAT THE RUSSIANS HAD VIDEOTAPED IT.
I DIDN'T GO INTO THE REST OF IT.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS NOTICE ENOUGH.
>> Stephen: SO YOU DIDN'T MENTION THE SALACIOUS DETAIL OF
THE TWO PROSTITUTES GETTING UP ON THE BED THAT THE OBAMAS HAD
STAYED IN-- BECAUSE IT WAS THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE-- AND, YOU
KNOW, ENGAGING IN SOME WATER PLAY.
YOU DIDN'T-- YOU DIDN'T-- YOU DIDN'T MENTION THAT AT ALL.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I THOUGHT I SERVED ENOUGH NOTICE WITHOUT GOING TO THAT
PART.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID HE SAY WHEN YOU TOLD HIM ABOUT IT?
>> HE DENIED IT-- HE INTERRUPTED ME AND DENIED IT IN PRETTY
STRONG TERMS, AND HE SAID DID HE LOOK LIKE A GUY WHO NEEDED THE
SEFORTSES OF HOOKERS.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: LET'S KEEP ON GOING.
BECAUSE, LOOK, I WANT TO BE DELICATE HERE, BUT HE LOOKS LIKE
A MICROWAVE CIRCUS PEANUT THAT SOMEONE RUBBED ON A GOLDEN
RETRIEVER.
BY THE WAY, I WENT TO THAT ROOM-- JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE
PEOPLE OUT THERE KNOW-- I WENT TO THAT ROOM.
I STAYED AT THE RITZ-CARLTON MOSCOW.
WE RENTED THAT ROOM.
WHICH IS REALLY ALL YOU NEED TO DO.
NOW, YOU'RE AN INVESTIGATOR, DID ANYONE FROM YOUR OFFICE EVER GO
TO THAT HOTEL AND LOOK AT THAT ROOM?
>> NOT WHILE I WAS DIRECTOR DISPLI DON'T KNOW ANYONE FROM
THE PRESS WHO WENT.
YOU'RE AN INVESTIGATOR.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK ME ANYTHING ABOUT THAT ROOM?
>> IS IT BIG ENOUGH FOR A GERMAPHOB TO BE AT A SAFE
DISTANCE FROM THE ACTIVITY.
>> Stephen: THE BEDROOM IS VERY LONG, VERY LONG.
YOU DEFINITELY BE OUT OF AT WHAT WE CALL IN SEA WORLD, "THE SLASH
SPLASH ZONE."
OKAY, ALL RIGHT?
DO YOU WISH YOU WERE IN THERE AS PART OF THIS INVESTIGATION?
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A GUY WHO IS IN THE KNOW, AND NOW YOU HAVE TO
GUESS LIKE THE REST OF US?
DO YOU WISH YOU WERE IN THERE ON THE TEAM?
>> I DO.
I MISS THE PEOPLE AND THE MISSION.
I DON'T MISS SOME OF THE POLITICAL TYPES, BUT I MISS
BEING WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE F.B.I. AND THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
>> Stephen: AND WHEN YOU WERE BEING INTERVIEWED BY GEORGE
STEPHANOPOULOS, HE ASKED YOU ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.
AND YOU SAID YOU DON'T THINK THAT IMPEACHMENT IS REALLY THE
ANSWER HERE, THAT THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE.
AND THAT "AMERICANS SHOULDN'T BE LET OFF THE HOOK THROUGH
IMPEACHMENT," THEY SHOULD GO VOTE THIS MAN OUT AND TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT LIKE YOU'RE BLAME THE VOTERS FOR THE
PREDICAMENT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU?
>> WELL, MAYBE PARTLY.
AND I MOSTLY BLAME THOSE WHO HAVEN'T VOTED.
>> Stephen: DID YOU VOTE?
>> NO, I WAS THE F.B.I.
DIRECTOR.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE IN 2020?
>> YES, I WILL.
( APPLAUSE ) BUT-- BUT--
( APPLAUSE ) WHAT I MEANT BY THE IMPEACHMENT
COMMENT SLOOK, THE LAW AND THE FACTS WILL TRIE DRIVE WHETHER TH
AN IMPEACHMENT PROCESS.
WHAT I WAS SAYING TO GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS IS IN A WAY THAT
WOULD SHORT CIRCUIT A MOMENT WE NEED.
A NEED A MOMENT OF CLARITY IN THIS COUNTRY.
I HOPE PEOPLE GET OFF THE COUCH, GET OUT OF THEIR BUSY LIVES AND
SAY THE VAWFL OUR LEADERSHIP MATTERS AND MORE THAN POLICY
DISPUTES, MORE THAN THE REST OF IT, WE STAND FOR SOMETHING IN
THIS COUNTRY, AND WE NEED TO SEND A SIGNAL THAT WE THAN AND
WE TREASURE IT.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S AFTER THIS?
HOW DO WE GET PAST THIS MOMENT?
Y I THINK BACK TO LINKOB'S SECOND INAUGURAL TALKING ABOUT
HOW THE COUNTRY WILL COME TOGETHER AFTER THE CIVIL WAR.
WHILE WE'RE NOT IN A CIVIL WAR.
WE'RE IN A TERRIBLY DIVIDED TIME.
HOW DO YOU THINK WE COME TO AGREEMENT AFTER ALL OF THIS
ABOUT WHAT OUR SHARED VALUES ARE?
>> BY EVERYBODY PARTICIPATING IN THAT CONVERSATION.
AND I WRITE IN THE END OF THE BOOK, I HOPE AN OPTIMISTIC NOTE,
THAT ALTHOUGH I SEE DONALD TRUMP AS A FOREST FIRE, HE WILL DO
GREAT DAMAGE TO OUR NORMS.
FOREST FIRES ALLOW THINGS TO GROW THAT COULDN'T GROW BEFORE.
I SEE KIDS GETTING ENERGIZED.
IT'S INSPIRING TO SEE KIDS IN THE WAKE OF PARKLAND OUT THERE
GETTING INVOLVED.
I SEE ALL PARTS OF CIVIL SOCIETY IT'S MEDIA, THE COURTS, EVEN
CONGRESS STARTING TO GET OFF ITS REAR END.
I SEE PARTS OF THIS COUNTRY BEING ENERGIZED THAT HAVEN'T
BEEN ENJIEDED SINCE, FRANKLY, THE LAST GREAT FOREST FIRE,
WHICH WAS WATERGATE.
SO I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS COUNTRY'S VALUES ARE STRONG
ENOUGH THAT WE WILL NOT ONLY SURVIVE THIS.
WE WILL THRIVE AND REBALANCE OURS IN THE WAKE OF THIS.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: MR. COMEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I REALLY ENJOY TALKING TO YOU.
"A HIGHER LOYALTY" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
IT'S WORTH READING.