"I have great regard for Jim Comey. I thought he handled himself very well today," Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) told MSNBC's Brian Williams on Thursday as Comey testified before the House Oversight Committee.

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"I think it's a mistake for Republicans to somehow think that Comey was in on a fix or he was rigging something. He is really of unimpeachable integrity," King continued, describing Comey as "a total straight shooter."

"He could have indicted Hillary Clinton if he wanted to — there was enough evidence there — but I thought he made a very good case why he didn't," King said.

King reiterated that Republicans are "going to make a mistake" if they attack Comey, because the FBI chief outlined "damning accusations" against for the former secretary of State's mishandling of classified information on her private email setup.

"I think Republicans should be embracing Comey right now," King said, adding that his colleagues could disagree with the decision not to pursue charges while "praising his judgment."