Today’s bombshell report on President Trump comes via the New York Times and alleges that Trump asked James Comey during a private meeting to drop his investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
That meeting took place last February, and Congress would like to see Comey’s memo documenting the meeting. The New York Times hasn’t seen it, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz reportedly has his subpoena pen ready.
Some are asking, though, why Comey didn’t report this alleged obstruction of justice at the time, and instead sat on the information until after he’d been fired.
.@SenatorRisch: "If somebody came to me and asked me to squelch an investigation, I'd have been screaming bloody murder about it." #thestory pic.twitter.com/5a5bfg0MA9
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/nataliewsj/status/864606889795096576
This is a question Comey would clearly have to address in any hearing >> https://t.co/GiFsErKWcW
— Alex Burns (@alexburnsNYT) May 16, 2017
This is true. But he didn’t. Water under the bridge. What matters now is whether Trump did it or not. https://t.co/P1icdYAJGN
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) May 16, 2017
Official right-wing spin. Comey's fault for not saying @realDonaldTrump tried to obstruct justice. Pay no attention to man behind curtain https://t.co/bpzfoPdlVG
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) May 16, 2017
Laura Ingraham accused Comey of payback:
Comey writes memos after mtg claiming Trump wanted Flynn invest shut down –yet he doesn't tell AG or Dep AG, but keeps ace up sleeve?
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 16, 2017
Did Comey as FBI Dir immed walk out of his mtg with Trump after he allegedly asked invest to be ended? If not, why not?
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 16, 2017
Comey's withholding such key information from AG or Dep AG is deeply disturbing. Petulant payback time.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 16, 2017
CNN’s Jake Tapper reports that a source close to Comey suggests Comey had thought he’d pushed back on the request significantly and thus let it drop. No big deal, right? Except for the fact that a memo from that meeting has shifted impeachment talk into high gear.
Source close to Comey on why he didn't report to Congress about that convo w/Trump in which he asked him to stop the Flynn investigation:
1/— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 16, 2017
“Because it wasn’t a very successful effort and he thought he’d pushed back on it. ..
2/— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 16, 2017
"He was very sensitive to how difficult this was going to be to work with this president; he also thought he could do it.”
3/— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 16, 2017
Not the rationale I was expecting. Was expecting the explanation to be that there was an ongoing investigation
— Marco Argentieri (@marco_argent) May 16, 2017
Yeah…I don't buy it
— Autumn Johnson (@AutumnDPJohnson) May 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/ProfTowanda/status/864624787200593920
He should have resigned.
— Lt. Colonel Lucky Peter (@spongeworthy2) May 16, 2017
So Comey thought it wasn't anything to worry about, but now he does? Now that he was fired? got it
— Jaqui (@jaqui4) May 16, 2017
Comey wisely demurred while offering Trump more rope to hang himself with.
— (((Jesper Weigner))) (@jespernweigner) May 16, 2017
The source’s explanation doesn’t really clear up much, and it’s strange in a couple of ways. First, it suggests Comey either didn’t perceive any attempt at obstruction of justice or did and just let it slide. Second, all of this is coming from a source close to Comey; even the memo itself was read, in part, to a New York Times reporter who never saw it.
A very important thing to note: Trump asked the VP and AG to leave the room before asking Comey to shut down the Flynn investigation.
— Peter Wehner (@Peter_Wehner) May 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/JMay1000/status/864620247541743618
It certainly seems suspicious that Trump and Comey were the only two people in the room when the request was made; however, the explanation given to Tapper also requires this unnamed source to know an awful lot about Comey’s thoughts on the subject.
Jason Miller on CNN: "little bit weird and vindictive on Comey's part that he had a little diary that he could play gotcha with"
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) May 16, 2017
If Trump hadn't fired Comey, would this never have come to light? Was Comey going to keep this memo in his back pocket? https://t.co/xGxpvjSwZu
— Damian Paletta (@damianpaletta) May 17, 2017
https://twitter.com/Bre_payton/status/864614536686514177
https://twitter.com/Bre_payton/status/864615422120914945
This plot is a mess. Need major rewrite.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) May 16, 2017
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Related:
Bake news: Child delivers James Comey freshly made cookies after his firing by big orange meanie https://t.co/YFrlMSth3T
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 14, 2017
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