Comey friend: Not sure Trump has a soul

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Hill

Benjamin Wittes, a friend of former FBI Director James Comey, said that he's unable to say how far President Trump is willing to push the legal bounds of the presidency because it would involve "looking into his soul" — and he's not quite sure Trump has one.

Asked by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on his podcast "Stay Tuned with Preet" how far he thinks Trump is willing to stretch the constitutional constraints of his office, Wittes said he would need to look into Trump's soul to answer that question.

"I'm hesitant to answer that question because it involves looking into his soul," Wittes said.

Pressed by Bharara on what he sees when he looks "into his soul," Wittes responded: "Well, first of all, I question whether he has one. But that's a question that I'm not in a position really to have an answer to."

-snip-"

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/356382-comey-friend-not-sure-trump-has-a-soul

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Wittes added that "if you look at areas where he is genuinely unconstrained, his behavior is pretty consistently awful." As he explained, "looking at how he behaves in the absence of legal restraint in other areas of his life when he doesn't fear consequences" can be a guide to how far Trump might push the legal bounds of the presidency.

And if so, the answer is terrifying.

Re Wittes saying he questions whether Trump has a soul:

My first thought was, I understand that completely. I question it, too.

My second thought was, I can't think of any other US president, or high elected US official, I'd ever have said the same thing of.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Comey doesn't have a soul either.

He deliberately prevented Hillary from becoming president, and then said he was only "mildly nauseous" about it.

Doesn't have much of a conscience.

[Sunlei]

2. I'll trust Comeys "word" over most any Republican, including the "tabloid TV star" anyday.

[Irish_Dem]

4. He will probably tell the truth about Trump to save his own skin.

That is the game he plays.

[Sunlei]

6. who will? If you mean Mr Comey he is an honest truthful man. You should keep your eyes on trump.

This is not a fucking game.

[StevieM]

11. Not me. I think Comey is awful. (eom)

[StevieM]

12. Totally agreed. Comey is the worst of the worst. (eom)

[Sunlei]

3. He doesn't have a soul OR any real friends.

[lagomorph777]

14. Frenemies, and family. That's TrumpWorld.

[Sunlei]

17. pay me enough & I'll be his "friend", no touching allowed.

[shanny]

5. Dick Cheney.

Certainly Trump is exceptionally soulless. But so are many high elected Republicans. Mitch McConnell. Paul Ryan. Ted Cruz. Probably half of the Republicans in the House.

It is a feature, not a bug in their party.

[Sunlei]

7. why drag out an old, one foot in the grave vulture-when we have elected persons raping USA today?

[shanny]

8. Why single out the one who is not in office today?

Why overlook the past? It is prologue. And of course the OP referenced "any president or high elected official."

[Sunlei]

9. lol, ok: no more food for you hunnie.

sometimes a song says it best

[shanny]

10. likewise

[olegramps]

15. They have a soul, that is the problem, its black as hell.

I have had several conversations with close family members and some friends. From the outset I have always contended that Trump doesn't have a conscience. This is the most important aspect of his warped psychic. He has shown from the time that he entered business with his father that both were people who absolutely had no compunction in lying to people to enrich themselves. Throughout his business career he showed no compassion for those that he gleefully destroyed. Many thought that his ridiculous TV reality show was entertaining, especially when he took smug satisfaction in firing people. I found it appalling at best. I shudder to think that he is the leader of the so-called free world.

The most recent debacle with the lost of four American soldiers is sadly only another example of his lack of compassion that is no different then when he bankrupted hundreds of people and bilked thousands who he only considered suckers who deserved to be taken for a ride. This is the same ride that he has taken an unfortunately large percentage of our fellow citizens on who have allowed their prejudice, and I dare say absolute ignorance, to blind them to the realities of their plight. He is just another in a long list of demagogues, such as Hitler, all of whom promised glory and riches, only to lead them to the slaughter house and ruin. They all had simplistic solutions for simplistic minds. Hitler had little effort convincing the people the entire plight of the Germans was not of their own making, but the fault of Jews. Trump played the same card and the suckers bought his demagoguery hook line and sinker.

All I can say is good luck America. I don't believe I will be around to see the final chapter, but all to sadly it does seem that history does repeat itself. When Athens was going to hell, the solution was to blame Aristotle. It was all his fault for corrupting the youth with truth bringing the wrath of the gods down on the true believers and righteous. Now its Mexican immigrants and Moslems and what other assorted nonsense that his delusional followers will readily accept as the truth. Simplistic solutions that have consistently lead to the same devastating conclusion. A tragedy in the making.

[A Morpheus Felinae]

16. Excellent observation.

I hate to be overly pessimistic, but I fear we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of America as we've know it. This is indeed a tragedy in the making.

[dembotoz]

13. bet thats a real shocker to them evangelicals

like trying to jump start a car with not engine

[FakeNoose]

18. How about the phony way they court the religious right

.... pretending they care about pro-life and anti-abortion laws. They don't give a shit about pro-life or any other religious issue. They just want the religious right's votes.

There are people in this country who genuinely believe that abortion is wrong, and they're sincere Christians. But that doesn't describe any of the Republi-kills in office right now.

[LeftyMom]

19. Bharara's podcast is pretty great.

I mean, the politics aren't exactly revolutionary. But his guests all know their stuff and have close connections to everybody involved with the issues being discussed. Sometimes they say things that are a bit careful and lawyerly and you need to read into the silences. It's deliciously insider-y, and there's value in that.