Followers of the news media had been trained this week to wait just a little longer — say, until 5:30 p.m. — for the major newspapers to publish their big scoops: Trump sharing sensitive intel with the Russians, James Comey being pressured to drop his investigation into Michael Flynn, and so on.
Up until now, news about Comey since his firing has come from either unnamed sources close to him or neighbor kids bringing him cookies. But on Thursday, the New York Times introduced the public to Benjamin Wittes, Comey’s friend and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
https://twitter.com/byrdinator/status/865353963587219456
Phone calls. A dinner. An awkward hug. We have previously unreported details of Trump’s efforts to win over Comey. https://t.co/TrKLysvm3n
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 18, 2017
Wittes made certain the suspense was palpable. People hadn’t been this on edge since Rachel Maddow teased the reveal of Trump’s tax returns.
tick tick tick tick tick tick tick
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) May 18, 2017
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) May 18, 2017
We should be taking this super serial #youguys pic.twitter.com/qzsy9M1Op9
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) May 18, 2017
We’d found it strange that so many people were claiming the Comey memo, read over the phone to a reporter, was proof of obstruction of justice, while CNN’s Jake Tapper was reporting that someone close to Comey explained that Comey had kept quiet at the time because “he was very sensitive to how difficult this was going to be to work with this president.”
Thursday’s piece in the Times seems to support that assertion. The promised “boom” wasn’t very satisfying, though. Rather than depicting Comey as being strong-armed by the president, it reveals that Comey tried to blend in with the White House curtains:
No joke: Comey (6'8) tried to blend in with CURTAINS in Blue Room at WH ceremony so Trump wouldn't notice him. https://t.co/NvYxVE6JKD
— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) May 18, 2017
Comey was so unsettled by Trump's unwanted attention, he once tried to hide in (or, among) the curtains:https://t.co/u2mbu2MfTX pic.twitter.com/UctKVx0IGB
— ProPublica (@propublica) May 19, 2017
It's curtains for Comey! https://t.co/dNF0sl35LQ
— Dan Zak (@MrDanZak) May 18, 2017
This next tweet cuts off just when things were getting steamy.
https://twitter.com/CDFrancescani/status/865353146846945281
#HePersisted.
https://twitter.com/YossiGestetner/status/865367943080808448
That’s obviously been selectively edited.
Meh.
— Willow ?? (@RockShrimp) May 18, 2017
You made the NY Times, but not the style section, so good try!
— trifecta (@3fecta) May 19, 2017
Nothing damning here, but interesting color and context. The video was revealing.
— Nicholas Cote (@nicholascote) May 18, 2017
#Comey "…is said" to have become unsettled with #Trump. Passive voice. No one named. Weak. No boom. Meh. #NYTimes increasingly vague.
— mikewarder1 (@mikewarder1) May 19, 2017
Oh my…I can hardly contain my outrage at such stunning revelations.
— Bill David (@proust1974) May 19, 2017
Oh, you tease.
— Karthik (@blandphilosophy) May 18, 2017
It's interesting, but is it really "bombshell" news? @nytimes doesn't even seem to think it's "breaking."
— Jaycen Bizzle (@TheBloodRite) May 18, 2017
Kinda weak compared to yesterday, but yesterday was practically political porn, kinda hard to top.
— ConcernedProgressive (@CaliHeisenberg) May 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/OneStrawHat/status/865353862932246528
too many ticks. Not enough boom.
— Kyle (@Kentroyals5) May 18, 2017
This is more of a firecracker than a bomb
— Michael Hallman (@hallmanreport) May 19, 2017
more like toot.
— icntmx (@icntmx) May 18, 2017
https://twitter.com/Aelin24012198/status/865357851492888576
He can't keep his hands off – unwanted gestures or violations to women and men.
— NothingButCrickets (@Listen2Crickets) May 19, 2017
Let’s leave Joe Biden out of this.
https://twitter.com/MattLibman/status/865356473093693440
Tomorrow night’s scoop had better be YUGE.
Boom goes the dynamite. Your blockbuster story has arrived tonight right on schedule. pic.twitter.com/YuaqKdt1ml
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) May 19, 2017
* * *
Related:
Obama’s awkward handshake with Canada, Mexico leaders is the gif that keeps on giving! https://t.co/Jrm3OP3hid
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 29, 2016
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