Graham: I Hope Comey Hearing Doesn’t Become a ‘Hit Job’ on Trump

South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham suggested Friday that a planned hearing next week with former FBI director James Comey could descend into a political “hit job” if the director focuses only on reported conversations between him and the president.

Trump fired Comey in May, citing the director’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server. Since then, reports have emerged alleging that the president had previously asked Comey to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Mike Flynn. Comey reportedly detailed that request, as well as other interactions with the president, in a series of memos.

Graham hazarded against a “one-sided” hearing that centers on the director’s reported conversation with the president.

“You’ve got to realize the man is going to testify has just gotten fired and his team or people around him have been leaking a lot of stuff,” he said on Fox News. “Here is what I worry about: he will just focus on his conversation with the president and not answer any other questions because of the investigation.”

“That would be a hit job on President Trump and I hope this hearing doesn’t become a hit job on President Trump,” he said.

Comey should shed more light on whether the president is the subject of an FBI investigation into Russian election meddling, Graham said.

“I think Director Comey should answer the question, is Donald Trump under investigation? Is he a target or a subject of an investigation regarding him colluding with the Russians? I don’t believe he is,” he said. “There is a cloud over the presidency that needs to be removed if the facts justify it being removed.”

Then-director Comey publicly confirmed the FBI investigation into Russian election interference, to include any potential coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, in March.

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