It is hard to imagine a more articulate and respectable witness than former FBI director James Comey, as he demonstrated when he testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8.
Under oath he described in detail his meetings with President Trump. He testified that the president said he “hoped” he would let the investigation of Michael Flynn “go.” Comey took this as a directive from the president, saying I took this to mean this was what he wanted me to do. It is hard to imagine sitting face to face with the most powerful man in the world and being told he hopes you will do something and not taking it as any thing other than an order.
This is especially true since the president cleared the room of Attorney General Sessions, Jared Kushner, and other members of the president’s inner circle. By clearing the room the president made clear his criminal intentions to interfere with an FBI investigation, an obstruction of justice. I don’t buy for one second the excuse given by some members of the GOP that the president’s inexperience made him unaware of the proper protocol when meeting with the FBI director.
President Trump knew what he was asking director Comey was wrong. If not, why did he clear the room?
The Special Counselor Robert Mueller is investigating all of this, including whether Trump obstructed justice. It certainly doesn’t look good for President Trump.
Comey, in a very believable account of a private dinner at the president’s request, said the president asked for Comey’s loyalty, saying, “I want loyalty, I expect loyalty.” Trump denies all of this but Comey‘s testimony under oath is more believable than the president’s denials. Mueller will find the truth.
The president defamed Director Comey personally and defamed the FBI when he said the FBI was in disarray and poorly directed and that members of the FBI had lost confidence in Comey. These remarks were called “lies, pure and simple,” by Comey.
The president has proven time and again his pathological tendency not to tell the truth. So when he said he would be 100 percent willing to testify under oath, that may mean nothing. I think he would lie under oath in a second. Also, since this is all under investigation by Mueller, the president will most likely say I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation if asked incriminating questions while under oath.
The president in one of his famous tweets indicated that his conversations with Director Comey were recorded on tape. Members of his inner circle would not comment when asked if there were tapes. The president continued to act coy when ask about the tapes, telling the press, you will be disappointed when I decide to answer your question. The Senate Intelligence Committee has ordered the president to produce the tapes. The Secret Service has said there are no tapes. There are no tapes
Several other things were significant in Comey’s testimony. He told the committee that not once in nine conversations with President Trump, had the president asked him, the top cop in the country, how the war on terrorism was going. That’s incredible. The president did ask if he was being investigated. It would appear the president is more interested in his own well-being than the country’s well-being. Since the president asked the question over and over again about his possible investigation, it leads me to believe he knew he had done something wrong and just wanted to know if the FBI was on to him yet. Why did he even think he was maybe under investigation to ask the question? I think the president asking the question was wrong and incriminating. The answer now is yes, you are being investigated, Mr. President.
Trump‘s supporters are now asking for Trump to fire Mueller and the president‘s close friend Chris Ruddy has said the president is considering such an action. They say the firing is necessary because Mueller worked with James Comey and can’t be impartial to Comey. The last I checked James Comey is not under investigation. By the time this goes to print, Trump may have fired Mueller. It’s happened before. Nixon fired a special prosecutor. The president will do everything he can to protect his friends like Mike Flynn and family like Jared Kushner.
Remember it wasn‘t the break-in of the Watergate that caused Richard Nixon‘s downfall, it was the cover-up. President Trump seems to be traveling down the same path.
Glen McAdoo, a Fallon resident who offers the Democrat viewpoint, may be contacted at glen@phonewave.net.