Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, publicly criticised James Comey, the former FBI director, during an appearance on The Chris Salcedo Show on May 16, 2025. Giuliani said, “I am heartbroken that this man has done so much damage to the United States of America.”
This statement, made on the conservative channel Newsmax, reignited Giuliani’s ongoing disagreement with Comey. He accused Comey of hurting the country with his actions at the FBI and elsewhere.
Giuliani focused on a now-deleted Instagram post from Comey showing a design made from beach shells that spelt out “86 47”. Many supporters of former President Trump, including Giuliani, believed this post was a secret message that encouraged violence against Trump, who is the 47th president.
This post led to an investigation by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Secret Service, with Secretary Kristi Noem calling it a “direct threat” to Trump’s life.
Comey said he did not mean any harm, but Giuliani took the chance to increase his criticism, calling Comey a “disgraceful liar”. He also raised concerns about Comey’s family members working in the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Giuliani specifically mentioned Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, who is an assistant U.S. attorney in New York, and her husband, Lucas Issacharoff, who also works as a prosecutor.
He suggested that their jobs under Attorney General Pam Bondi could affect their objectivity, considering Comey’s past actions.
Giuliani said, “This raises serious concerns about his daughter and son-in-law, both employed under Pam Bondi at DOJ,” implying that their positions might not be fair because of Comey’s influence.
Social media has further spread these claims, and many Trump supporters are calling for Maurene Comey to be removed from her DOJ position because she has worked on high-profile cases involving people like Jeffrey Epstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
During his appearance on The Chris Salcedo Show, Giuliani also talked about his time as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he hired Comey for his first major job.
Giuliani expressed regret about this, saying, “I’m embarrassed that I hired him.” He accused Comey of not managing the FBI well and of leaking information that led to the special counsel investigation into Trump’s campaign in 2016.
These comments are similar to Giuliani’s remarks from 2018 on Fox News, where he called Comey a “perverted man” and said he changed investigations to help Democrats, like Hillary Clinton.
This exchange comes as Giuliani faces his own legal problems, including a recent settlement with Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, whom he had defamed in 2020, costing him $148 million.
Despite these challenges, Giuliani continues to be a strong supporter of Trump, using shows like The Chris Salcedo Show to defend him and attack his opponents.
