Brian Kilmeade Says He Doesn't Love Donald Trump Still Going After James Comey
The Fox News host said going after Comey "doesn't help" two days after a third Comey case was unsealed, then went back to attacking Democrats over impeachment.
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said Wednesday that he does not "love" President Donald Trump's continued pursuit of former FBI Director James Comey and other critics. Six days before the midterm elections, he told listeners of The Brian Kilmeade Show that going after Comey "doesn't help."
The remark came two days after a third federal case against Comey was unsealed in Washington, D.C. This one charges him with transmitting national defense information in 2016. The Justice Department is still trying to revive the first case.
Brian Kilmeade's Comments on James Comey
The comment was brief, and it came in the middle of an attack on Democrats. Kilmeade had just played clips of Democrats discussing impeachment, which he credited to Adam Schiff, Ro Khanna and Adam Smith. Then he weighed in.
Survey of 1,052 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 5-12, 2025, after the Comey and Letitia James indictments, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 points.
Source: Marquette Law School Poll
"Yeah, these are all idiots. Just clowns," Kilmeade said. "They wanna just distract the country for your own political gain, impeach the president."
Then he turned to his own side.
"Now, I also don't love the president going after James Comey still or all these other people. It doesn't help. They're done." — Brian Kilmeade
"If there was something there, have one case. If it doesn't fly, it doesn't fly. Just done," he added, before going back to Democrats: "But this is over the top."
That was the full extent of it. Kilmeade said nothing more about Comey and spent the rest of the segment on the Democratic impeachment talk and on campaign spending. Later in the show, he also questioned polls showing Trump unpopular: "I don't believe that Trump has a 34% approval rating. I think it's probably like 43, 44." Trump's approval stands at 37.6 percent in PolitiKool's polling average, with 59.5 percent disapproving.
Where the James Comey Cases Stand
Comey's first indictment was on false-statement and obstruction charges in Virginia in September 2025. It was dismissed on Nov. 24, 2025, after a federal judge ruled that Lindsey Halligan, the former Trump lawyer who obtained it, had been unlawfully appointed as interim U.S. attorney. The Justice Department has appealed to the Fourth Circuit.
The second case, filed in North Carolina in April, accuses Comey of threatening Trump with a photo of seashells spelling "86 47." Comey has asked the judge to dismiss it, arguing the post was not a true threat.
The newest case was filed Oct. 5 as a criminal information, not a grand jury indictment. That date was exactly 10 years after the alleged disclosure to a reporter. Comey's lawyers say the charges are time-barred, and U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden must now decide whether the deadline filing counts.
Comey is not the only Trump critic who has been charged:
| Date | Case | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 2025 | Comey indicted in Virginia (false statements, obstruction) | Dismissed Nov. 24, 2025; appeal pending |
| Oct. 2025 | Letitia James indicted in Virginia (mortgage fraud) | Dismissed Nov. 24, 2025; a grand jury declined to re-indict |
| Oct. 2025 | John Bolton indicted in Maryland (18 classified-records counts) | Pleaded guilty to one count June 26, 2026 |
| April 28, 2026 | Comey indicted in North Carolina ("86 47" post) | Motion to dismiss pending |
| Oct. 5, 2026 | Comey charged in D.C. (national defense information) | Unsealed Monday; statute-of-limitations challenge |
New York Attorney General Letitia James's case fell with Comey's. A grand jury in Norfolk then declined to re-indict her in December 2025. John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, pleaded guilty to one count of retaining classified information and agreed to a $2.25 million fine.
What Happens Next
McFadden's ruling on the timing of the newest charges, the Fourth Circuit's decision on Halligan's appointment and the North Carolina judge's ruling on the seashell case are all still to come.
Kilmeade did not say whether he wants the newest case dropped.
Sources
- James Comey charged for a third time by the Trump administration — The Oct. 5 criminal information in D.C., unsealed Monday; Judge Trevor McFadden; the first case's appeal is still pending
- DOJ charges ex-FBI Director James Comey in new case — National defense information charges and the defense's statute-of-limitations motion
- James Comey, Letitia James cases dropped over Trump prosecutor Halligan — Nov. 24, 2025 dismissal over Halligan's unlawful appointment
4 more sources
- DOJ again defends Lindsey Halligan's appointment in appeal of James Comey and Letitia James case dismissals — The Justice Department's appeal of the dismissals to the Fourth Circuit
- Comey asks judge to dismiss Trump 'seashells' case citing lack of 'true threat' — Status of the North Carolina '86 47' case
- Letitia James challenges grand jury subpoenas in Trump, NRA investigations — A Norfolk grand jury declined to re-indict Letitia James in December 2025
- Ex-national security adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to illegally retaining classified information — Bolton's guilty plea and $2.25 million fine