Former FBI Director James Comey predicted on Sunday that former President Trump “could be wearing an ankle bracelet” when accepting the GOP nomination if he wins it in 2024, as the former president faces a number of legal challenges.
Comey said on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki” that he doesn’t “want to” but “could” envision Trump getting the Republican nod.
“I mean, it’s this crazy world that Donald Trump has dragged this country into, but he could be wearing an ankle bracelet while accepting the nomination at the Republican convention,” Comey said.
“You would be rejected if you put it in a script for a show, but you could have a president who is potentially incarcerated when he is elected president,” he added.
Trump if facing a slew of legal woes including an indicted on criminal charges in New York, and two Justice Department inquiries led by special counsel Jack Smith. A Georgia prosecutor is probing attempts to overturn the state’s election results in 2020, and Trump was also found liable last month for sexual abuse and defamation writer E. Jean Carroll.
As he runs for another term in the White House, Trump has said he won’t drop out of the 2024 race for any legal reason. He’s still legally able to lodge his campaign even as he faces charges and the other ongoing legal battles.
Trump fired Comey as FBI director during his tenure at the White House in May 2017. Trump cited Comey’s handling of an investigation involving an email server belonging the Hillary Clinton while she was running as Trump’s opponent in the 2016 election even though it benefitted him politically.
Trump ultimately let Comey go over investigations involving Russia and Trump’s aides though Comey had informed Trump that he himself was not being probed.
Comey on Sunday said where a potential 2024 GOP nomination of Trump could lead is unknown.
“So, that would be weird and awkward. And it seems even crazy to be coming out of my mouth, but that’s the situation we face. It looks like the Republicans will likely nominate someone who is under serious criminal investigation, is indicted, and who knows where that’s going to lead us,” Comey said.