--- title: Hillary Clinton Emails: President Obama on James Comey description: President Obama does not believe that FBI Director James Comey is seeking to influence the outcome of the presidential election canonical: https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-31T18:08:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:52:36.475Z article:section: Politics og:title: Obama Doesn't Think the FBI Chief Is Trying to Influence the Election og:description: "He's in a tough spot" og:url: https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte774656cc727cfb5/6988ac4797cdff34256ae642/josh-earnest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Obama Doesn't Think the FBI Chief Is Trying to Influence the Election twitter:description: "He's in a tough spot" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte774656cc727cfb5/6988ac4797cdff34256ae642/josh-earnest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama Doesn't Think the FBI Chief Is Trying to Influence the Election, White House Says > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=7715de04-3d68-45ab-903f-d98ebfcfc030&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=7715de04-3d68-45ab-903f-d98ebfcfc030&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=7715de04-3d68-45ab-903f-d98ebfcfc030&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=7715de04-3d68-45ab-903f-d98ebfcfc030&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: FBI Reopening Investigation Into Hillary Clinton’s Emails [Watch (HLS stream): FBI Reopening Investigation Into Hillary Clinton’s Emails](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6nKS4o1A.m3u8) (0:35)  _Published 2016-10-28. The FBI is examining additional emails related to Hillary Clinton_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 31, 2016 6:08 PM UTC The FBI is examining additional emails related to Hillary Clinton by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 31, 2016 6:08 PM UTC President Obama does not believe that [FBI Director James Comey](http://time.com/4551195/hillary-clinton-email-comey-abedin/?xid=homepage) is seeking to influence the outcome of the presidential election through his [surprise disclosure](http://time.com/4551186/will-the-october-surprise-matter/) last week that authorities discovered new emails potentially tied to Hillary Clinton’s private server, Obama’s spokesman said Monday. “I’ll neither criticize nor defend Director Comey’s decisions about what to make public in the context of this investigation,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday. “That’s because I do not have independent knowledge of the decisions that are made to release this information.” Comey has [faced backlash](http://time.com/4551195/hillary-clinton-email-comey-abedin/?xid=homepage) in the wake of the release of a letter to Congress indicating the discovery of emails. They were reportedly found in the unrelated investigation into former Congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Democratic allies, former prosecutors, and former Justice Department officials from both parties have criticized Comey’s actions as breaking with Justice Department guidelines and longstanding traditions of not releasing sensitive information close to an election. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid suggested Comey’s release may have violated the Hatch Act. “The President doesn’t believe that Director Comey is intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election,” Earnest said. “The President doesn’t believe that he’s secretly strategizing to benefit one candidate or one political party. He’s in a tough spot and he’s the one who will be in a position to defend his actions in the face of significant criticism” Earnest said the White House has not been briefed on the email investigation or the existence of an investigation into the “activities or habits” of the Republican nominee. ## Transcript [00:07] [ BLANK_AUDIO ]. For the whole truth and nothing but [00:09] the truth. Thank you. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:16] [ MUSIC ] [00:20] [ CROSSTALK ] [00:24] I have great respect for the fact that the [00:29] FBI and the Department of Justice are now willing to [00:33] have the courage to right the horrible mistake. [00:39] That they may. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/"},"headline":"President Obama Doesn't Think the FBI Chief Is Trying to Influence the Election, White House Says","datePublished":"2016-10-31T18:08:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T06:52:36.475Z","description":"\"He's in a tough spot\"","url":"https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election","White House","Josh Earnest"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte774656cc727cfb5/6988ac4797cdff34256ae642/josh-earnest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte774656cc727cfb5/6988ac4797cdff34256ae642/josh-earnest.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-POLITICS","caption":"US-POLITICS","creditText":"Nicholas Kamm—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/","name":"President Obama Doesn't Think the FBI Chief Is Trying to Influence the Election, White House Says"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"FBI Reopening Investigation Into Hillary Clinton’s Emails","description":"The FBI is examining additional emails related to Hillary Clinton","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/6nKS4o1A/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-10-28T19:06:50.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6nKS4o1A.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/","duration":"PT35S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4551972/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-barack-obama-james-comey/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```