Trump vs Comey (and the city of Portland)

49 snips

Sep 29, 2025

A fiery political landscape unfolds as Trump’s Truth Social post incites calls for the prosecution of critics like former FBI director Comey, who now faces perjury charges. The hosts dissect the implications of Trump using the justice system for political revenge and analyze the tense situation in Portland. With federal troops potentially deployed, they evaluate the thin justifications for such moves and the longstanding tensions surrounding protests. They also explore who might be next on Trump's target list, drawing eerie parallels to historical abuses of power.

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INSIGHT

Thin Justification For Troop Deployment

The White House used thin incident claims to justify deploying National Guard to Portland.
Anthony Zurcher says the evidence presented publicly looked like "thin gruel" for a troop deployment.

INSIGHT

Governors Can Block Most Deployments

Presidents generally cannot deploy troops into states without the governor's consent.
Sarah Smith and Anthony note Oregon's governor quickly filed suit to block the deployment.

INSIGHT

Deployment Risks Becoming A Political Flashpoint

Deploying National Guard risks escalating protests into clashes that benefit the president politically.
Anthony warns a deployment can create flashpoints that justify further force and political advantage.

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It started with a Truth Social post from the president, calling for a handful of his critics to be prosecuted, one of those targeted was the former FBI director James Comey. Less than a week later, he has been indicted and charged with perjury over testimony he gave to Congress five years ago about the FBI's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege he lied about whether he authorised the leak of classified information to members of the media.

Sarah and Anthony discuss the rocky relationship between Trump and Comey, concerns about whether Trump is weaponsing the justice department to target his political rivals, and who could be next?

And Trump has set his next target for the National Guard to deply to - Portland, Oregon. He says the city is ‘war-ravaged’ and that ICE Facilities are ‘under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists’. What is the reality on the ground? How have Democratic lawmakers in Oregon pushed back? And what precedent could it set if federal troops do march onto the streets?

HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by Rufus Gray and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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