Well, we already know in essence what Comey will testify about, since we have his written statement (which has been dissected to death). I don’t expect a lot of “news” but maybe so more fleshing out.
It will be in sharp contrast to yesterday, where two intelligence chiefs repeatedly refused to say whether Trump asked them to intervene in the Russia probe during their public Senate intelligence committee testimony. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers declined to discuss the specifics of private conversations they had with Trump and whether they had been asked to push back against an FBI probe into collusion between the campaign and the Russian government. Both hinted that they would share more information with senators privately.
The RNC has put out some rather odd talking points…
… which are rather contradictory (Comey vindicates Trump…. but he is a liar!)
Anyway…. as the day progresses, I will TRY to update with news and opinion, but again, I think we’ve hit 90-95% of the pay dirt here. One thing to be sure: Comey is smart and already has answers for the Republican critics who will try to trip him up.
Either way, we’ll definitely learn (we hope) the answers to these questions
- How will Mr. Comey explain his silence on his interactions with Mr. Trump? (My guess: He thought he could “teach” Trump the proper parameters)
- Will Comey be a ‘showboat’? (My guess: No.)
- Will Republicans offer the president a lifeline? (My guess: Some will. Some will even bring up Hillary’s emails)
- Will Democrats overplay their hand? (My guess: No)
- Will Trump tweet? (My guess: No, but if he does, it is because he feels the heat)
- Did the president violate guidelines that prevent interference in F.B.I. investigations? (My guess: Comey will punt on this)
AND WE’RE OFF….
The President will be in the West Wing watching Comey’s testimony with his legal team and senior advisors.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) June 8, 2017
“The President disputes that he ever asked for Jim Comey’s loyalty,” a source familiar with the President’s thinking tells me.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) June 8, 2017
And — “The President disputes that he ever asked Comey to let the Flynn investigation go in any way” – source familiar with POTUS’s thnking
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) June 8, 2017
The President firmly denies ever asking for Comey’s loyalty or asking him to let the Flynn investigation go, a knowledgeable source tells me
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) June 8, 2017
10:00 am
Per @AshleyRParker reporting, Trump planning to spend morning huddled in WH dining room, which has a 60-in flat screen, with his legal team.
— Robert Costa (@costareports) June 8, 2017
Comey surprises us and opts not to read or repeat his previously admitted public statement.
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 8, 2017
Comey talking about how Trump said FBI was in disarray under Comey:
“Those were lies, plain and simple.” Requires no commentary.
— Frank Rich (@frankrichny) June 8, 2017
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye.” – Comey to the FBI
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) June 8, 2017
I note Comey’s voice is wavering. He’s pissed. Says Trump defamed him and FBI
And we’re at questions. Burr asking…
Comey says Trump/DOJ never asked him to stop the investigation of Russia’s actions during the election.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
“Not to my understanding, no,” Comey says of whether the president tried to stop the Russia investigation.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 8, 2017
Comey: Steele dossier questions aren’t UNCLAS, save it for closed sessions
— John Schindler (@20committee) June 8, 2017
The country is riveted…
Dead silence here in Brooklyn bar as patrons watch Comey’s testimony. pic.twitter.com/VhZE2IFcOI
— Steve Peoples (@sppeoples) June 8, 2017
New: Comey says Loretta Lynch told him not to refer to the Clinton email investigation as an “investigation” but “a matter”
— Holly Bailey (@hollybdc) June 8, 2017
…. good to know?
Warner up. Going through each Trump meeting.
After 1 meeting with Trump, Comey realized he was meeting a fundamentally dishonest person
— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 8, 2017
!!!! Comey on Trump: “I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting.”
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Comey: One FBI official’s concern was that “inevitably [Trump’s] behavior…will fall within the scope” of the probe.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Comey has now used “lie” twice.
1. Referring to WH defaming him and the FBI: “those were lies”:
2. His concern POTUS might “lie” about mtg— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) June 8, 2017
Comey: When Trump whispered in my ear during that Blue Room meeting, he said, “I really look forward to working with you.”
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Comey says he could sense that Sessions and Kushner knew they shouldn’t leave the room and leave him alone with Trump when Trump asked
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 8, 2017
Risch(R), a former prosecutor, now asking questions….
Oh. Risch is now implying that Trump didn’t pressure Comey to let Flynn go based on his “I hope” wording.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Feinstein (D) up. Asking about why Comey believes he was fired (Answer: Russia investigation)
And Donnie Jr. weighs in…
Hoping and telling are two very different things, you would think that a guy like Comey would know that. #givemeabreak
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 8, 2017
Not when it is the President.
!!! Comey: “I’ve seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy! I hope there are tapes.”https://t.co/7K0jjeVSLz
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 8, 2017
!!! Comey: “I’ve seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy! I hope there are tapes.”https://t.co/7K0jjeVSLz
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 8, 2017
Comey admits that he wasn’t as firm with Trump as he ought to have been. Calls his efforts to cut short conversations “cowardly.”
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) June 8, 2017
Comey on why he didn’t challenge Trump in the moment: “I was just so stunned by the conversation that I just took it all in.”
— Steve Peoples (@sppeoples) June 8, 2017
James Comey is offering a fairly long list of people who would be able to corroborate some of his accounts.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) June 8, 2017
Comey: We didn’t tell Sessions bc we thought he would soon recuse himself. There were no other Senate-confirmed DOJ leaders.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Comey: “I took it as a direction. … I took it as, ‘This is what he wants me to do.'”
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Rubio(R) up. Asks why Comey didn’t tell President “That’s wrong.” Comey says he was stunned and didn’t have the presence of mind.
meanwhile, in Russian media#Sputnik pic.twitter.com/12x6A3vUhH
— Michael Crowley (@michaelcrowley) June 8, 2017
Comey’s candidly self-critical answers about reluctance say No to a president exactly demonstrates the risk to free institutions from Trump
— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 8, 2017
Rubio: Did you tell Trump or WH counsel his Flynn request was inappropriate?
Comey: No.
Rubio: Why?
Comey: “I don’t know.”— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Wyden (D) is up….
Let me just jump in here and say that I was wrong about one thing (at least). I thought Comey would leave his personal impressions (“I felt…” “I got the impression….”) out of it. I was clearly wrong. He’s giving his impressions.
Wyden: Why did you think Sessions would recuse?
Comey: We had facts I can’t discuss publicly that made his continued role “problematic.”— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Collins (R) is up….
I have not seen much from this vaunted “rapid response team” of Trump. I THINK the Republican response, if Rubio is any indication, is that Comey didn’t do anything, and he should have. But I think Comey’s answer is perfectly reasonable.
Comey says he told Sessions, “It can’t happen that you get kicked out of the room and the president talks with me.”
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Huge revelation Comey told Rosenstein about his concerns with Trump – yet he still wrote the memo justifying his firing. Needs follow up.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) June 8, 2017
Appears the GOP is going with “why didn’t you tell Trump this was all obviously inappropriate”
— Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) June 8, 2017
Nice tweet here….
For instance: Eighth Circuit affirmed an obstruction of justice enhancement based partly on an “I hope” statement https://t.co/85F2d7A8A4 pic.twitter.com/EbQHsCphL7
— Adam Liptak (@adamliptak) June 8, 2017
Henirich (D) up….
Heinrich: Did you have any interactions with Trump that suggested he took Russian hacking seriously?
Comey: Don’t think so.— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Comey: People should read the entirety of my testimony. “You can’t cherry-pick it.” Presumably that’s a subtweet of @GOP.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Comey making pretty strong case the Trump kicking AG out of room during Oval Office mtg is evidence of guilt
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) June 8, 2017
Blunt (R) up…
Roy Blunt just mentioned the Logan Act. Seems like his straw man. But in case you’re curious… https://t.co/tqTKQvMD2F
— Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) June 8, 2017
Blunt seems to be rehashing the written statement.
Angus King (I) is up….
Comey himself makes the widely cited connection b/w Trump pressure/his firing and “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Lankford (R) is up….
He asks Comey how a president would end an investigation. Comey says, by simply telling it to end, but says he’s not a legal scholar. That might be used by GOP, i.e., Trump did what he is empowered to do.
And now we’re back to Lynch-Clinton.
Comey: There’s a difference between POTUS’s tweets and him telling me “I hope you’ll let this go.”
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Manchin (D) is up…
Manchin: Do you think Clinton would have fired you?
Comey: I don’t know. I might have been.— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Cotton (R) is up…
Q: Do you think Trump colluded with Russia?
Comey: I don’t think it’s a question I should answer in an open setting.— Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) June 8, 2017
I don’t think that is the answer Cotton wanted.
Tom Cotton really thought he was smartly helping Trump but per usual opening his mouth has the opposite effect of what he intended
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 8, 2017
BREAKING: Speaker Paul Ryan says FBI director needs to be independent, says Trump unfamiliar with protocol, `just new to this’
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 8, 2017
That’s not an excuse, Paul.
Harris (D) is up….
She’s asking a lot about Sessions recusal
Harris: Did DOJ issue any memo to FBI detailing Sessions recusal?
Comey: “Not that I’m aware of.”— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
Meanwhile… at White House briefing
Sarah Sanders at briefing: “No I can say definitively the president is not a liar.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 8, 2017
Cornyn(R) is up and bringing up the Clinton investigation, saying Lynch had a conflict of interest. Zzzzzzz
Of course, he did say “there was nothing there” but that doesn’t count because #covfefe. https://t.co/nd8kUixWKH
— (((Garrett Epps))) (@Profepps) June 8, 2017
McCain (R) is up….
Carrying water for GOP, I think. This is bizarre.
McCain’s questioning is simply not making sense. He seems to be conflating the investigation into her email server with the Russia probe…
— Matthew Nussbaum (@MatthewNussbaum) June 8, 2017
Like, seriously: is he ok? https://t.co/qMnXSsOQ9l
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) June 8, 2017
Except the Clinton probe was not related to the Russian stuff.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 8, 2017
I honestly do not know what McCain is getting at..
— Jeff Greenfield (@greenfield64) June 8, 2017
I think McCain had a stroke. He appeared to be under the impression that the election was still ongoing, called Comey President, and then couldn’t understand why Clinton was not prosecuted for helping the Russians elect Trump.
McCain so theatrically doddering it almost seems a deliberate effort to undermine Trump defense.
— Frank Rich (@frankrichny) June 8, 2017
I mean this in all seriousness and with respect. That interchange btw Comey and McCain was very worrisome/disturbing.
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 8, 2017
Hearing adjourned. No tweets from President.
Takeaways:
(1) Trump is a liar. Some more examples:
A. Trump was asked on Fox News last month whether he ever asked Comey for his loyalty. Trump responded, “No, I didn’t.” We now have reason to believe this was a lie.
B. Trump was asked at a White House press conference last month, “Did you at any time urge former FBI Director James Comey in any way, shape, or form to close or to back down the investigation into Michael Flynn?” Trump replied, “No. No. Next question.” We now have reason to believe this was a lie, too.
C. Trump was asked by NBC News’ Lester Holt about the private dinner he had with Comey, and the president said the FBI director “asked for the dinner.” We now have reason to believe this was also a lie.
(2) No clear defense strategy from GOP (but don’t expect impeachment)
(3) Comey and all of us want those tapes (if they exist)
(4) Senator McCain has gone ’round the bend.
Fox News focusing on what Comey said about Loretta Lynch right now. #ComeyTestimony
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) June 8, 2017
Of course. And now it goes to closed door session, which will leak about an hour later.