Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb has claimed that President Donald Trump is using the indictment of former FBI director James Comey to “rewrite history” in his favor. Cobb, who managed Trump’s response during the Mueller investigation, warned that the president may target political opponents next.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Cobb called Trump’s actions “wholly unconstitutional and authoritarian,” suggesting they are an attempt to mislead future generations. He said the indictment against Comey, for allegedly lying to Congress, is weak and unlikely to result in conviction.
Cobb said Trump’s goal is to obscure his own record. He argued the president wants to erase public memory of events including inciting a violent insurrection, refusing to transfer presidential power peacefully after losing an election, stealing classified documents, and sharing them with others at Mar-a-Lago. “He’s a convicted felon. Anyone involved in those events that offended him is in real danger,” Cobb said.
Cobb, a distant relative of the baseball legend of the same name, has become a vocal critic of Trump since serving as a liaison to special counsel Robert Mueller. He emphasized that his previous role as a White House lawyer allowed him to assess administration decisions objectively.
The former lawyer also criticized the appointment of a White House aide with no prosecutorial experience to pursue the Comey case, following the firing of a federal prosecutor who declined to bring charges. Cobb argued that this appointment undermines legal standards and reflects a broader effort to manipulate history. He said the US attorney involved previously worked on projects aimed at revising historical narratives at the Smithsonian, which he described as a “whitewashing” effort.
Cobb emphasized the importance of impartiality in the justice system, citing former Attorney General Robert Jackson, who said the Department of Justice should focus on crimes, not individuals. He also noted that Griffin Bell later stressed that politics should have no role in prosecutorial decisions. Cobb criticized Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, for abandoning these principles and acting to prosecute political adversaries.
The indictment against Comey, Cobb said, was flawed from the start. He explained that the grand jury rejected one key count and approved the remaining counts by a narrow margin. He added that a trial would require unanimous verdicts from twelve jurors and a strong defense, making conviction highly unlikely. He also suggested the case could be dismissed before trial due to constitutional concerns.
Separately, Kash Patel, Trump’s appointed FBI director, contradicted the president’s claim that hundreds of bureau agents were embedded in the crowd during the 2021 Capitol attack. Patel clarified that FBI agents were sent to the scene only after the mob breached the Capitol. He noted that deploying agents in such a way is not the proper role of the bureau.
In another incident, Trump posted and then deleted an artificial intelligence video showing him promoting so-called “magic medical beds” that conspiracy groups claim can cure any ailment. The video portrayed Trump endorsing hospital access through a card that grants use of these beds, sparking further controversy.
Cobb’s commentary reflects deep concern over Trump’s use of the justice system for personal and political goals. He warned that the administration’s actions could distort history and weaken public trust in legal institutions, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency in government processes.
