Democrats laid into Comey during a closed door intelligence briefing earlier this month but so far top leaders have resisted calling for the FBI chief to step down. | Getty Democrats resist calling on Comey to resign

House Democrats greeted news that FBI Director James Comey will be staying in his job with a mix of disdain and relief Tuesday.

Democratic leaders say they’ve lost confidence in the bureau head to impartially investigate any links between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign, given how they think Comey bungled the probe into Hillary Clinton’s email server.


But the alternative, they say, could be much worse.

“I don’t think any decision President Trump makes is rational,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joseph Crowley (N.Y.) said when asked about reports Tuesday that Trump asked Comey to stay in his job. “I have concerns about any investigation that will go forward now given that he is president of the United States.”

Democrats laid into Comey during a closed door intelligence briefing earlier this month but so far top leaders have resisted calling for the FBI chief to step down.

“I don’t believe that director Comey conducted himself during the election in a way that was impartial,” House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (Calif.) told reporters Tuesday. “I have concerns about that. But I also have concerns about who would the replacement be.”

Comey has enraged Democrats by refusing to say whether his agency is investigating any ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, especially given his public comments about Clinton’s email server days before the election.

“We need an intelligence community that is independent and not coerced by the leader of our nation,” Crowley said. “We do not want to go back to the days of J. Edgar Hoover. We want an independent agency.”

Trump repeatedly questioned Comey’s credibility throughout the election, only changing his tune after Comey announced he was reopening the Clinton email probe shortly before the election. More recently, Trump warmly greeted Comey at a White House reception over the weekend, calling him out and giving him a pat on the back.

“He’s become more famous than me,” Trump said.