Yuri Gripas/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Less than 24 hours before the much-anticipated hearing of James Comey, a pro-Trump group has launched an attack on the former FBI director.
The Great America Alliance describes itself on its website as an “issue advocacy organization to help realize President Trump’s promise to ‘Make America Great Again.’ “
“Our goal is to build on the success of having created the most effective 21st-century grassroots machine and turn that powerful infrastructure in support of President Trump’s agenda,” the website states.
The group launched a digital video advertisement Tuesday night criticizing Comey for “putting politics over protecting America.” The ad is scheduled to air during the hearing itself on cable news. Additional ads are slated to be launched over the next 48 hours.
“Comey was political, and he was serving a political purpose rather than doing his job as FBI director,” Great America Alliance Co-Chair Eric Beach told ABC News’ Political Director Rick Klein and Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl during the “Powerhouse Politics” podcast.
James Comey is a “Showboat” who put politics before protecting America! https://t.co/1cf7lCdKoL @realDonaldTrump
— Great Alliance (@TrumpAlliance) June 7, 2017
Beach claims that criticism of Comey is not limited to Republicans, but can be seen on both sides of the aisle. While Comey was widely respected prior to the election, his actions during the campaigns drew “a lot of disappointment on both sides.”
While Beach claims that his organization does not “attack” Comey or “call him a liar” per se, it does believe he “has been a distraction” in Trump’s administration and has limited the government’s ability to focus on its agenda.
Great America Alliance’s campaign aims to shift the American focus away from political scandal and toward the numerous “positives that have come out of this administration in the first 150 days.”
Echoing the sentiment of Beach is Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), a longtime supporter of President Trump. Comer expressed that while he eagerly anticipates hearing the “Comey side of the story,” he has concerns about the fired FBI director.
Comer, like Beach, reminded Klein of negative feelings towards Comey prior to his termination. He said Democrats were calling for the president to terminate Comey, as they felt that he had given Trump an “unfair advantage by the way he mishandled the election.”
The congressman believes that Comey has a “huge credibility issue with the public,” repeating the message delivered through Great America Alliance’s Comey attack ad.
Both Comer and Beach agree that they look forward to the testimony, as they hope it paves the way for increased attention to policy issues such as tax reform and revisions to health care. They believe Comey’s hearing and media attention have served as an obstacle to the agenda proposed by Trump during his campaign.
Comey will testify Thursday morning at 10 a.m. on Capitol Hill.
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