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The GOP is sending a "Lyin' Lion" on James Comey's book tour

Republicans have some pretty low-brow trolling in store for the former FBI director.

Republicans have some pretty low-brow trolling in store for James Comey.

The Republican National Committee will send a staffer dressed up as a lion — a “lyin’ lion” — to follow the former FBI director around during his book tour, the committee announced Thursday.

The lion will hold a placard referring to the GOP-run website, LyinComey.com, designed to discredit Comey during the book tour. Comey referenced the website during an interview with ABC’s "Start Here" podcast this week as evidence that the party had left him behind, a reason why he’s no longer a Republican.

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The GOP confirmed their plans to VICE News on Friday. A spokesperson said committee chose a lion as the animal that would be following Comey around the country because they, perhaps wrongly, think ‘lyin’ lion’ is good wordplay. In addition to touting the anti-Comey website, the lion will be holding the RNC’s mocked-up version of Comey’s book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership. The RNC added an asterisk and rewrote the subtitle as “To Me, Myself, and I.”

The staffer wearing the costume will presumably be paid for their time, though the RNC said they might ask volunteers to take on the role, too.

There’s at least one person close to the RNC who’s got experience wearing furry costumes. Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer wore the Easter bunny outfit during 2008’s Easter egg roll at the White House.

There’s also an old cartoon from 1949 called the “Lyin’ Lion,” in which a washed-up circus lion is forced to rebrand as a clown to be shot out of a cannon by his jealous ringleader. (The RNC told VICE News they had never seen it.)

Cover image: Courtesy of Republican National Committee