Audiences expecting any surprises from former FBI director James Comey's sitdown with ABC News's George Stephanopoulous may have been left sorely disappointed.
After weeks of book excerpts and promotional clips, most of the biggest bombshells from the interview were already well known. But the smaller details from Comey's memoir, "A Higher Loyalty," that he divulged in the "20/20" special on Sunday night hold the most intrigue.
"What I think will make some ripples are the additional details that are provided in some of those anecdotes that he's telling," said Lachlan Markay, White House Correspondent at The Daily Beast.
Markay said that the most dramatic elements of the Comey-Trump saga are not grabbing the headlines because, "most of that has leaked out over the past year or so."
Comey spent most of his primetime interview and much of his book recounting the early days of the Trump administration, and the events that would ultimately lead to his termination. Those events have been well documented by Comey and the news media, but that doesn't mean the book won't make news.
In fact, more tangential stories like Comey's revelation that the White House chief of staff John Kelly called the president's firing of Comey "dishonorable" could have "the potential to actually affect some staffing decisions and policies," said Markay.
The Hollywood Reporter said the early ratings numbers for the "20/20" special show the Comey interview drew an average of 9.8 million viewers for ABC. One of those viewers may well have been President Trump.
"The president of the United States is watching this and has been watching the Comey media blitz very closely," said Asawin Suebsaeng, White House Reporter at The Daily Beast.
Comey is set to appear this week on "The View," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and "The Rachel Maddow Show."
"A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" hits bookstore shelves on Tuesday.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/let-the-book-tour-begin-whats-next-for-james-comey).
Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
