Sen. Reed: Comey's Testimony Was Persuasive But Inconclusive

Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, who was among those questioning former FBI Director James Comey last week, said that Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee was persuasive and honest, but inconclusive as far as the possibility of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.

Reed -- ranking member of the Armed Services Committee and an ex officio member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and therefore permitted to ask Comey questions -- said it will be up to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation to determine whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice by blocking or interfering with an FBI probe.

“I think that is an issue in which he [Comey] was very careful and very appropriately said it will be a conclusion ... either confirmed or refuted by the investigation of former FBI Director Mueller. This is a very complicated situation and to leap to a conclusion," Reed said, "I think would be the wrong thing to do.”

He continued, “I think Mr. Comey was prepared testify under oath that the president mislead the American public on a number of occasions, and the president had attempted to exert pressure on him to stop investigations of his aspects of the Russian intervention on the [Trump] campaign.”

Reed also addressed the threat to democracy that Russian hacking into the American election system poses, and he asked Comey about the president’s indifference on the subject.

Reed said, “I think it is a startling reality that the president seems somewhat indifferent to what took place with respect to the Russians, particularly since we’ve seen evidence in the French election of attempts of intrusion.”

To listen to the entire interview with RI Senator Jack Reed and WGBH Morning Edition host Bob Seay click on the audio file above.