Comey says Biden should 'consider' pardoning Trump

"I obviously think he belongs in jail, but I don't think pursuing that is in the best interests of the entire nation," Comey said during an interview with the BBC.

By Alex Nitzberg

Published: January 14, 2021 4:53pm

Updated: January 14, 2021 6:14pm

Former FBI Director James Comey, during an interview with BBC, said that he thinks Joe Biden should consider pardoning President Trump.

"I obviously think he belongs in jail, but I don't think pursuing that is in the best interests of the entire nation," said Comey, who was fired by President Trump in 2017.

"Do you think Joe Biden should pardon Trump as Ford did Nixon?" the interviewer asked Comey.

"I don't know," Comey said. "He should consider it. Now I don't know whether Donald Trump, he's not a genius but he might figure out that if he accepts a pardon that's an admission of guilt, United States Supreme Court has said, so I don't know that he would accept a pardon. But as part of healing the country and getting us to a place where we can focus on things that are gonna matter over the next four years," Comey said that he believes Biden will "have to at least think about that."

Comey also described the president as "a lawless nihilist."