5 Things To Know About FBI Director Comey's Congressional Testimony

FBI Director James Comey, along with NSA Director Michael Rogers, testified before Congress Monday and delivered remarks on topics ranging from the bureau's policy on leaks to the president's Twitter habits. Comey confirmed, as many had reported, that the FBI is investigating President Trump's campaign for potential connections to Russia's interventions in the 2016 presidential election.

He also said there is no evidence for Trump's claims that President Obama "wiretapped" him.

While many expected remarks on these lines, the official confirmations from Comey represent a significant blow to the administration's narrative. But there was also a number of moments that stood out in the hearings that were particularly odd or notable.

Here are the moments you should know about:

1. Comey: "With respect to the president's tweets about alleged wiretapping ... I have no information that supports those tweets."

Comey flat-out denied that there is any basis in the Justice Department's record to believe Trump's allegations that President Obama "wiretapped" Trump Tower. This is a very tough rebuke for the president to face, and the country will surely be eager to hear how Trump responds.

But it's also just shocking to hear "tweets" discussed so seriously and consequentially in congressional testimony. Yes, this is all real; this is actually happening.

2. Comey: "I try very hard not to engage in any ‘isms’ of any kind, including McCarthyism."

One of Trump's tweets Comey discussed called the alleged surveillance a new kind of "McCarthyism" and drew analogies to Watergate. Comey denied that any activities he or the intelligence community engages in are in any way connected to McCarthyism.

But Comey's comment, denouncing all "isms," was notable for creating further distance between him and the president, and its humor. Observers in the room laughed at the remark.

3. Comey: "We cannot do our work well or fairly if we just start talking about it while we're doing it."

While Comey made a lot of news today with his answers, he also refused to answer many questions asked of him by officials on both side of the aisle.

This comment, versions of which he made multiple times, stood out for many because of Comey's October 2016 revelations about an investigation into emails that were potentially connected to Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of State. This revelation eventually led to no new information about the then-presidential candidate, but it dominated the headlines in the week before the election.

4. Comey: "Wherever the Red Raiders are playing, you want the Red Raiders to win. By definition, you want their opponents to lose."

Rep. Mike Conaway, a Texas Republican, pressed Comey on the intelligence community's conclusion that the Kremlin preferred Trump over Clinton in the election. Conaway drew the analogy to a sports team, trying to draw skepticism on the conclusions, and Comey echoed it.

Comey refused to get too specific about why the Kremlin would favor Trump, but he noted that logically, if it wanted Clinton to lose — which the FBI believes confidently — then it wanted her opponent to win.

5. Rep. Adam Schiff: "Our British allies have called the president's suggestion that they wiretapped him for President Obama 'utterly ridiculous' and 'nonsense.' Do you agree?" Rogers: "Yes."

This particular exchange, during which Rogers agreed with Comey that Trump's accusations that Obama wiretapped him appeared to have no factual basis, was shocking. Even though they weren't his own words, Rogers, the sitting NSA director, agreed with a characterization of the White House's suggestion as "utterly ridiculous" and "nonsense."

Trump and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer have tried to back away from these claims, arguing that they were just mentioning the allegations against the British, not endorsing them. Still, it's a bold position for Rogers to take.

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