President Trump on Tuesday said that FBI Director James Comey was the "best thing" that ever happened to his 2016 Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Biden looks to shore up Latino support in Florida MLB owner: It's 'very necessary' to vote for Trump MORE.



"FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!" Trump tweeted.

"The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" he continued.

FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017

...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017

The president's remarks came after Clinton earlier Tuesday blamed her loss in the presidential election on Comey and WikiLeaks' publication of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

“If the election had been on Oct. 27, I would be your president,” she told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at a Women for Women event in New York, referencing the day before Comey sent a letter informing Congress that the FBI had discovered new emails that appeared pertinent to an investigation into Clinton’s handling of classified material.