The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Thursday kicked off its ad campaign against former FBI Director James Comey ahead of the release of his new book, releasing a mock cover of the memoir attacking the former FBI chief’s “ego.”
In a mock reviews section for the book, which is set to be released next week, the RNC lists “Widespread accord for James Comey’s ego” that highlights comments portraying the former top law enforcement official as a political player.
The mock cover comes as President Trump’s GOP allies launch a public relations offensive on Comey ahead of the release of his new book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.”
The advertising plan, which was led by the RNC and approved by the White House, seeks to brand the former FBI director as “Lyin’ Comey” on a new website and in a series of ads.
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The Republican plan will also give GOP lawmakers counterarguments against Comey, who led the federal probe into ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia before he was fired by Trump last year.
The first excerpts from the highly anticipated book were released on Thursday, with the former FBI chief describing Trump’s leadership as “ego driven and about personal loyalty.”
Comey compares Trump to a mob boss in the book and reveals that Trump asked him to probe salacious allegations in an unverified dossier of opposition research compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele.
The former FBI director writes that Trump repeatedly brought up the unproven allegation that while staying in Russia, he asked prostitutes to urinate on a bed previously used by the Obamas.
According to the New York Post, Comey wrote that Trump “brought up what he called the ‘golden showers thing’ … adding that it bothered him if there was ‘even a one percent chance’ his wife, Melania, thought it was true.”
Trump denied the allegations in conversations with Comey, and said that he didn’t like how the claims affected the first lady, according to The Washington Post.