'Corrupt intent up the wazoo': Ex-Watergate prosecutor says Comey has planted seeds of Trump's downfall

The political world is still reacting to former FBI Director James Comey's blockbuster testimony on Capitol Hill Thursday, and one former Watergate prosecutor thinks that Comey effectively planted the seeds of President Donald Trump's eventual downfall.

Appearing on MSNBC this week, former U.S. Attorney Nick Akerman -- who served as an assistant special prosecutor in the Watergate case -- said that Comey's testimony had effectively established a case for obstruction of justice that special counsel Robert Mueller could pursue if he so chose.

Specifically, Akerman pointed to the Trump administration's constantly shifting rationales for firing Comey as a reason to think Mueller could make a case that Trump fired Comey to kill the Russia investigation.

"Look at the pretext, the reason that they gave to fire Comey in the first place," he told MSNBC's Chris Hayes. "[The White House originally said] this was because of the Rosenstein memo. Well, Trump later admits that was pretext. But to investigate all of that and find out what people knew, what they said, who knew what and when — you have corrupt intent up the wazoo here."

Akerman also mocked arguments that Trump didn't really intend to obstruct the Russia investigation simply because he told Comey he "hoped" he could drop the probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

"Most obstruction of justice cases, the person involved doesn't come out and say, 'Oh, I'm going to obstruct the investigation!'" he said. "If they do, it's a wink, it's a nod, it's a hint."

Watch the video below.