A majority of U.S. voters polled believe former FBI Director James Comey more than they believe President Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University poll out Thursday.
While Comey’s overall approval rating was negative, 54 percent of respondents said that they believe Comey over the president.
Thirty-five percent, on the other hand, believe Trump more than they do Comey.
{mosads}Those who believe Trump over Comey are overwhelmingly Republican. According to the poll, 76 percent of GOP respondents sided with the president. Forty-seven percent of white men and white voters without college degrees also said they believed Trump more than Comey.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,193 voters from April 20 to 24. Its margin of error is 3.4 percentage points.
The poll comes as the public feud between Trump and Comey reemerges, spurred by the release of the former FBI director’s memoir, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.”
Comey’s book casts Trump as an unethical, self-interested leader with a tenuous relationship with the truth. It also takes a number of personal shots at Trump, including about his appearance.
Trump fired Comey in May, ostensibly because of his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of State. But he later acknowledged that the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election also factored into his decision.
Trump has repeatedly called Comey a liar and a leaker for authorizing the disclosure of personal memos detailing his interactions with the president.