The New York Times reported Tuesday afternoon that former FBI director James Comey wrote a memo alleging President Donald Trump asked him to drop the investigation into his campaign. CNN’s legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin explained why that is so significant.

“Three words: Obstruction of justice,” Toobin told Wolf Blitzer. “Why do you think Comey wrote a memo to the file about it? Because he was so appalled that a president of the United States would behave in this way. ‘Close it down’ is an instruction to stop investigating. Richard Nixon was [nearly] impeached for asking the FBI to stop an investigation into his campaign.”

David Axelrod, former senior aide to President Barack Obama, noted that he has not been one to rush to say the word “impeachment,” but that this is downright explosive.

Last week, Trump tweeted that Comey shouldn’t leak any information to the press because Trump could have taped their conversations. If Trump did tape the conversation, Toobin noted it could either prove Trump’s innocence or guilt and that the tapes should be released to prove more than a “he said, he said” statement.

Watch the exchange below:



Jeffrey Toobin shocked by explosive Comey memo… by sarahburris