A former Trump administration attorney warned America may be reaching a "tipping point" after the Justice Department secured a federal indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
Ty Cobb joined CNN anchor Erin Burnett on her show, "OutFront," after the Trump administration made history with the first indictment of a former FBI director. Comey was indicted on charges of lying to Congress and obstruction of justice.
Cobb called it a "tragic day for America, not because Comey’s perfect by any means."
"What we have here is a clear, vindictive prosecution, a clear, selective prosecution. We have a president for the first time in history ordering his attorney general to indict his enemies. And the attorney general — instead of being the independent force that she’s supposed to be — saying, 'Yes, sir. How fast can I get that done for you?'
Cobb called out Bondi for proclaiming she supported evenhanded justice during her confirmation hearing — then proceeding with pursuing charges against Comey.
"This is not that," he lamented.
Cobb warned Trump's administration that they have a "weak case" against Comey, and could see it tossed for vindictive and selective prosecution.
"I think this is a very problematic case for the government to bring," he said. "But I think the way in which they brought it is problematic for the entire country. And this is either the end of the rule of law in America, or it’s a tipping point against the authoritarian activity that we’ve seen from this president and his attorney general."
When asked to explain his "tipping point" remark, Cobb warned that a "groundswell among the citizenry could be enormous."
"I mean, this is unprecedented. It’s what every law student is told is not possible. And what distinguishes us from dictatorships around the world — that... the executive leading the executive branch does not dictate to prosecutors who will and will not be charged. Now, you know, we’re seeing that."
He added: "I think this is a very, very possible tipping point for Americans to finally acknowledge — the people who have been in constant denial about the damage that Trump is doing and the freedoms that are being eroded. I think this is an opportunity for those people to wake up and take it seriously."
