Fired FBI Director James Comey, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, portrayed Donald Trump as a president "grossly" abusing his power, The Washington Post said in an editorial.
"According to Mr. Comey, President Trump pressured him to declare his loyalty, pressured him to drop an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and then fired him in an effort to alter the course of the FBI's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign," The Post said.
"However Mr. Trump and his allies may spin the testimony, these are serious and disturbing allegations."
The Post said it was also disturbing that Trump, according to Comey, showed little concern about "Russian efforts to subvert American democracy."
"Disappointingly, Republican senators at the hearing for the most part tried to play the part of Trump defense lawyers, challenging or playing down Mr. Comey's testimony," the editorial said.
"Their efforts for the most part boomeranged."
"Mr. Comey, a man of integrity, explained over the course of his testimony that the president's requests breached a barrier that must be maintained between the president and the FBI, 'shocked' career law enforcement officials and were unprecedented in his long experience."
And the newspaper noted, Comey said no one, particularly the president, should be uninterested in investigating Russia's "hostile activities."
"'It's not a Republican thing or a Democratic thing. It really is an American thing,'" Mr. Comey said. "'They're just about their own advantage. They will be back.'"
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