Trump and the GOP's war on "slime ball" Comey is in full swing

“Untruthful slime ball.” “Weak.” “Terrible.” “LEAKER & LIAR.”

President Trump came out swinging at James Comey on Twitter Friday morning in reaction to the first published excerpts from Comey’s scathing new book, “A Higher Loyalty.” And he’s got a lot of allies in the effort to discredit the fired FBI director before the book tour kicks off Sunday.

The Republican National Committee has launched a “Lyin’ Comey” campaign that includes digital ads, talking points sent to top conservative surrogates, and a new website. Trump's tweets echoed the RNC chairwoman earlier this week: "Comey is a liar and a leaker and his misconduct led both Republicans and Democrats to call for his firing," Ronna Romney McDaniel told reporters..

The Republican plan also highlights Democratic lawmakers’ criticisms of Comey about his handling of Hillary Clinton’s email investigation and his admission that he leaked details of his interactions with Trump in order to help prompt the appointment of a special counsel. Conservative media figures have been joining the effort to discredit Comey before the book hit shelves. This week, Fox News’ Sean Hannity said Comey was getting ready to “cash in on his very public hatred for President Donald Trump” and showed his viewers a graphic with “The Comey Crime Family?” sprawled on top — ironically, or maybe intentionally, referring to Comey’s contention that Trump leads like a mob boss.

But polls show that Trump and his allies have a long way to go in swaying public opinion. “A Higher Loyalty” is already a best-seller before its official Tuesday release, and polls favor Comey’s credibility: An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted earlier this week showed that Americans think he’s more honest than Trump by a 48-32 percent margin.

The book tour, which kicks off with an ABC News interview Sunday evening, will certainly test that public sentiment. The former FBI director is unsparingly critical in his assessment of the 45th president.

“The president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values,” Comey writes of Trump, and says that his time in the White House reminded him of his interactions with the mob as a prosecutor. “The silent circle of assent. The boss in complete control. The loyalty oaths. The us-versus-them worldview. The lying about all things, large and small, in service to some code of loyalty that put the organization above morality and above the truth.”

He adds that Trump’s “leadership is transactional, ego-driven, and about personal loyalty.” Indeed, he asked Comey for his loyalty in their first one-on-one dinner in January 2017 (Comey said he’d promise his “honesty”).

Cover image: Former FBI Director James Comey testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 8, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)