Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine says he believes President Trump showed his hand by firing former FBI Director James Comey Tuesday evening and indicated he’s worried about what the agency’s investigation into the campaign is finding.
Kaine said on ABC Wednesday that Trump doesn’t have a very good poker face and the letter that he sent to Comey about his dismissal proved it.
“The president’s letter is very telling,” Kaine said. “It’s the president that made this firing decision, not anybody else. But, he inserts this thing like a bad poker player whose facial expression tells you what kind of hand he has: Thanks for telling me three times I’m not the subject of an investigation into Russia.”
“That is a tell, that shows we have a deeply insecure president who understands that the noose is tightening because of this Russia investigation,” he said.
"We have a deeply insecure president who understands the noose is tightening." – Sen. @timkaine to @GStephanopoulos on President Trump pic.twitter.com/mmqCbG0RCE— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 10, 2017
Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential nominee and a Virginia Democrat, said he believes Trump’s decision to fire Comey is an attempt to stop the FBI investigation into Trump’s campaign in its tracks. Comey confirmed in March the FBI is investigating possible connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
Trump has ripped Democrats for their outrage at Comey’s firing, but Kaine said he never personally called for Comey to be fired.
“I have been critical of Jim Comey but that’s why the FBI director gets a 10-year term,” he said. “I didn’t say he should be fired. The 10-year term is to insulate a FBI director form making people mad, from political pressure from Congress or from the president.”
“Yeah, I’ve been critical but he has a 10-year term to free him from political interference and the president has interfered because he’s nervous about this Russia thing.”