Sen. John McCain reportedly said Wednesday he was "disturbed" by former James Comey's statement to Congress that President Donald Trump pressured him to drop the probe into Michael Flynn's alleged Russia ties – and Sen. Chuck Grassley said he might subpoena the former FBI director to testify before his committee.
The comment by McCain, the six-term Arizona Republican, was reported by CNN's Manu Raju, who said "he would not go there" when the senator was asked whether Trump's actions constituted obstruction of justice.
"He said we should trust James Comey's words as the White House goes after the credibility of James Comey," Raju told host Brooke Baldwin.
In prepared remarks to be delivered Thursday to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said President Trump asked him to end the investigation of the former national security adviser in a February White House meeting and to pledge his loyalty over a private dinner the previous month.
"'I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,'" Comey said Trump told him Feb. 14, the day after the president fired Flynn over his Russia disclosures.
"'He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go,'" Comey said in the remarks.
"I replied only that, 'he is a good guy,'" the former director said, later adding, "I did not say I would 'let this go.'"
Comey's seven-page opening statement was posted on the Intelligence Committee's website.
The former FBI director, whom Trump fired last month, has said his testimony before the committee would be his only congressional appearance.
However, Grassley, the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, later told Raju he would subpoena Comey if his vice chair, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, would agree to do so.
"Under our rules of the committee, if Sen. Feinstein wouldn't agree to subpoena, I would."
A spokesman for Feinstein, who also sits on the Intelligence Committee, did not respond to a request on the matter from The Hill.
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