Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own.

Liberal talk show host Stephen Colbert hosted James Comey on Tuesday to talk about his new book, A Higher Loyalty. The Republican Party has been vicious in its criticism of Comey — the RNC even published a website dedicated to discrediting him — and has rushed to the defense of the president. At the same time, liberals like Colbert have come to Comey’s defense, with one Vox article calling him “the hero America needs.”

While it’s comforting to see a principled conservative like Comey talk about his frustrations and anxieties with the Trump White House, it’s also important to remember he’s a large reason Trump is there and not Hillary Clinton. It was Comey’s decision to announce the reopening of the email investigation in October 2016, which most likely cost Clinton victories in Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and Pennsylvania, at a minimum. This act was politically and socially irresponsible, considering the Justice Department doesn’t typically comment on ongoing investigations.

The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend, and Comey is certainly no friend of the Democrats. He had been a Republican for a long time, serving in the Bush administration and donating to both John McCain and Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns. When then-President Barack Obama appointed him as FBI director in 2013, he did so because of Comey’s strong principles, even though Comey supported the opposing party. But those same principles — the ones he talks about in A Higher Loyalty — also pushed him to send the memo detailing the reopening of the investigation.

When it comes to Comey’s new book, liberals cannot jump to defend him. Doing so would absolve him of his role in helping put Trump in the Oval Office and give him more political clout than he deserves. Democrats need to hold him accountable for his actions the same way Republicans are calling him out for releasing private memos.

As we read Comey’s book and see him on the news, we must remember both facets of Comey: his principles and his mixed past. We cannot continue to defend him as a scrupulous political figure while ignoring the fact that he undermined the FBI’s independence and likely cost Clinton the election. With this dynamic, hopefully liberals can have a more principled relationship with their perception of Comey.

Moshe Klein is a senior government and politics major. He can be reached at mosheylklein@gmail.com.