OrangeGrayBlue
Member
Trump has never played anyone except the people of Pennsylvania like a fiddle. He's incapable.
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CNN: Comey now believes Trump was trying to influence him, sources say
- Thread starter ShadowKingpin
- Start date
Trump has never played anyone except the people of Pennsylvania like a fiddle. He's incapable.
Was it ever said that Trump himself was the subject of this investigation? I thought it was his campaign/aides/staffers/cabinet. In that case Comey wouldn't have lied and Trump himself could always become a suspect later in the investigation, right? Or they could simply get him on the cover-up.
SenjutsuSage
Banned
Trump and his team only ever get played and take Ls. They don't play anyone, ever, but themselves.
Dude Abides
Banned
Well duh. The Comey firing pushed us into not the crime it's the (attempt to) cover it up territory.
My wild guess is that Trump actually wasn't personally involved or knowledgeable of Russian collusion. Manafort, Page, Stone, maybe Flynn to some degree. But Trump is not details oriented enough to have been directly involved land at least some of those guys are savvy enough to know to keep direct knowledge and communication away from Trump.
But the investigation was an annoyance and Trump has no real concept of ethics and what is appropriate for a public official and what isn't. In his view if you have the power to make things easier for yourself and your friends you do it end of story. So he tried to put a end to it in the most stupid and hamfisted way possible and now he's well and truly fucked.
Also lol at it being some huge scandal to tell someone they're not under investigation.
My wild guess is that Trump actually wasn't personally involved or knowledgeable of Russian collusion. Manafort, Page, Stone, maybe Flynn to some degree. But Trump is not details oriented enough to have been directly involved land at least some of those guys are savvy enough to know to keep direct knowledge and communication away from Trump.
But the investigation was an annoyance and Trump has no real concept of ethics and what is appropriate for a public official and what isn't. In his view if you have the power to make things easier for yourself and your friends you do it end of story. So he tried to put a end to it in the most stupid and hamfisted way possible and now he's well and truly fucked.
Also lol at it being some huge scandal to tell someone they're not under investigation.
And even if Comey gets out of THAT, Trump will just release another tape where Comey admits to being the real Oklahoma City bomber. He probably has that tape
Trump is simply too far ahead in the tape game.
skullmuffins
Banned
I mean this isn't coming as a shock to him. He had suspicions before (hence the memos) but also felt it could've been due to Trump & his team being a bunch of neophyte politicians that didn't understand the independence of the FBI.Comey upon discovering Trump wasn't just trying to be his friend.
After he was fired, the intent became much more clear.
That would, uh, also kind of implicate Trump in trying to influence the FBI director to drop the investigation against him. It doesn't help his case at all if he spins that he thought he had successfully influenced the FBI director.
Doesn't help that he told the Russians that the great pressure he was feeling with regards to the investigation into his ties with Russia was lifted when he fired Comey.
I have no idea why you're operating under the assumption that Trump was telling the truth.
Electric Eye
Banned
1. Trump is a liar.
2.When he pressed him Comey is on record saying he schooled Trump on the appropriate chain of asking about investigations reminding him that asking him directly was not appropriate.
3.If such an exchange actually happened it would have already been released by Trump or his handlers in at least written records. This hasn't happened in fact the opposite has happened Trump has actually made himself look even more guilty and his lawyers are looking into loopholes and how impeachment works.
DietRob
i've been begging for over 5 years.
Yea but we are on time 4 or 5...
Also no shit on trying to influence the investigation the problem is and always will be proving intent.
Hate Hannity's guts but he played a recording of Comey's last congressional hearing before he was fired.
This is probably going to get Comey into deep shit considering that he categorically denies having experienced interference or a request to halt of an FBI investigation for a political reason.
This is probably going to get Comey into deep shit considering that he categorically denies having experienced interference or a request to halt of an FBI investigation for a political reason.
WordAssassin
Member
Is there any like...
Comey's not gonna suddenly be found dead before this trial, is he? I imagine he has to have some kind of safe guards if he's saying this stuff. I'd be scared as fuck and staying away from any windows.
Comey's not gonna suddenly be found dead before this trial, is he? I imagine he has to have some kind of safe guards if he's saying this stuff. I'd be scared as fuck and staying away from any windows.
Leona Lewis
Banned
That's a pretty ugly place he boxed himself into there with that answer.
EDIT: Never mind, the question wasn't about individual political figures.
He was asked about the DoJ, not the White House.
Halt != Influence, also, talking about DoJ
skullmuffins
Banned
The specific question was about the attorney general or senior DoJ officials halting an investigation. So if the pressure was coming from outside DoJ, he's clear. (Also consider the difference between "halting" and "trying to influence".) It may sound pedantic, but during testimony you want to answer only the question asked.
The problem here is that he claims that the DoJ making such a request would be a big deal. Wouldn't the President making such a request be even worse?
In that video, you'll notice that Comey further complicates this answer saying that representatives often pass along their opinion about whether a case has merit and if its worth pursuing and Comey seems fine with that. Which is what Trump could say he was doing. That he was just sharing his opinion on the case. It might not be a smart thing to do, but it doesn't appear to be illegal either.
Leona Lewis
Banned
But the question wasn't addressing the executive himself, just the DOJ.
Mr_Antimatter
Member
Which woudl fly if Trump had left it at that, but recent leaks have him all but declaring his intent was to halt the investigation. Trump has been Trump's worst enemy this entire scandal.
Yekshemesh
Member
Trump played you like a fiddle. 8th-dimensional chess believer amirite?
Shadow Puppetry
Member
Uh oh, new target.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed President Trump on Friday, ordering him to stop "meddling" in the South American country, Reuters reported.
Maduro's comments came a day after the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on eight members of Venezuela's Supreme Court in retaliation for the court's decision to strip power from the country's legislature. That ruling was later reversed.
"Enough meddling ... Go home, Donald Trump. Get out of Venezuela," Maduro said in a television speech, according to Reuters. "Get your dirty hands out of here."
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed President Trump on Friday, ordering him to stop "meddling" in the South American country, Reuters reported.
Maduro's comments came a day after the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on eight members of Venezuela's Supreme Court in retaliation for the court's decision to strip power from the country's legislature. That ruling was later reversed.
"Enough meddling ... Go home, Donald Trump. Get out of Venezuela," Maduro said in a television speech, according to Reuters. "Get your dirty hands out of here."
Who would Comey go to with this ? The AG is probably under investigation, the house committee was fucked ( Nunes showed that ) , he might not have trusted the Senate one either for all we know. Not hard to argue that saying nothing and keep pushing the investigation forward was the best alternative .
skullmuffins
Banned
Yep, and Comey himself wasn't sure at the time that they were trying to impede the investigation, rather than them being a bunch of noobs who didn't understand how government worked and that the FBI director was supposed to be independent. At the time of the testimony, Comey thought he was navigating that problem and avoiding the pressure from the White House. Then they fired him and Trump basically admitted that it was because of the Russia investigation.
Cesare Borgia
Banned
Why are you assuming Trump is telling the truth when he blatantly lies about everything. If he had tapes he'd release them or signal he has them. This is no different from him claiming Obama "tapped" him. Furthermore why would Comey press forward with a hearing if he thought he may have been taped making such an egregious error.
Trump is operating in a fantasy world with no consequences. Which is why he constantly ignores his legal council, and which is why he thought firing Comey would end everything (as he told the Russians).
King Tubby
Member
It's not that hard. While investigating, he could sort of brush off Trump's overtures as long as he didn't actually do anything to interfere with the investigation process. Firing Comey after he refused to comply with the President's "nudges" casts those actions in a far more sinister light.
Given how often Trump lies or is confused about basic shit, I have no doubt whatsoever that he has no recordings of Comey saying he wasn't under investigation.
Shadow Puppetry
Member
Hell, Comey is begging him to release said tapes.
Comey was asked whether the DoJ ever tried to shut down an investigation and he denied it. The White House, and the President, aren't part of the DoJ.
Furthermore, the FBI is a branch of the DoJ. That there's some level of coordination between them is entirely normal.
What's not normal, at least in recent times, is for the President to talk to the FBI director. In fact, Obama reportedly told Comey at his swearing-in ceremony that that's the last time they'd ever talk to each other, at least as long as they both serve in their respective office.
Hierophant
Banned
Really? Are you sure? I saw no indication of this at all!
nephilimdj
Member
Instead of reading this, just read the source
https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-james-comey-told-me-about-donald-trump
TLTR: He had lunch with Comey, comey was busy as there was a new administation and had to train new staff on intel stuff.
Much different to how news reported it when he "leaked" it
https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-james-comey-told-me-about-donald-trump
TLTR: He had lunch with Comey, comey was busy as there was a new administation and had to train new staff on intel stuff.
Much different to how news reported it when he "leaked" it
Spladam
Member
The real circus starts after Comey testifies in front of the Senate Intelligence committee, at which point the White House and it's lackey's will start to attack Comey's credibility. I'm not the biggest Comey fan, but I do know the man has some pretty impeccable credibility, and a long list of credible character witnesses, and this will most certainly backfire like a relationship thread on GAF, leaving everyone shaking their heads and backing away from the soon to be ground zero as a political dog pile begins to ensue.
It will also start bringing out a focused evaluation of Trump's many past failures in credibility, creating an environment where even former allies and silent bystanders will be forced to call the President out on the absurdity of his word against Comey's word. Trump, remember all those years of you lying about President Obama's birth place and the evidence you collected?
The amount of pressure Trump is under (like any manchild) is directly proportional to the magnitude of his subsequent implosion. We're talking hydrogen bomb levels of potential implosive energy. It will be glorious to behold I think, an angelic mushroom cloud of absurdity and karmic retribution for the morally blind that voted him in.
It will also start bringing out a focused evaluation of Trump's many past failures in credibility, creating an environment where even former allies and silent bystanders will be forced to call the President out on the absurdity of his word against Comey's word. Trump, remember all those years of you lying about President Obama's birth place and the evidence you collected?
The amount of pressure Trump is under (like any manchild) is directly proportional to the magnitude of his subsequent implosion. We're talking hydrogen bomb levels of potential implosive energy. It will be glorious to behold I think, an angelic mushroom cloud of absurdity and karmic retribution for the morally blind that voted him in.
I like this post.
I'm sure Republicans are spending some long hours trying to figure out how to spin this in their favor. Their efforts to date have been laughably ineffective in stopping this train so I look forward to the next few weeks.
Not to mention the IC likely still have tapes like the one that had Ryan & co.
Lil'DigiOp
Member
There is no spin.
Things are so partisan that no one would even entertain it.
You have to think about the utter shit people are gonna get when ol dude gets impeached and they get found to be a Trump supporter.
Its not gonna end well.
TestOfTide
Banned
Except Comey isn't stupid enough to have done something like that. If Trump ever asked him if he was under investigation Comey would have responded with "I can't confirm or deny".
Also, if Trump releases recordings of conversations he had, then the story will IMMEDIATELY be about "Where are all the Trump Tapes (no, not the pussy tape)?"
i am so erect
Why does Theresa May laugh like Sephiroth
This is the type of thing Hannity can get away with because his low information viewers will not actually do any research to understand legality and nuance in phrasing, just like they brought Trump's denial of leaking classified intel to Russia even though the statements were semi-cleverly written to deny a very specific thing that the Post was technically not reporting about in their story.
Words actually mean things in law, and Comey intelligently worded his statement to ensure he avoided any such issues.
BobTheFork
Member
I thought she laughed like Soda Popinski
KojiKnight
Member
Protip: investigators are under no legal requirements to tell the truth if someone asks them if they are under investigation.
In fact, it's common practice in law enforcement to lie and tell someone they aren't if such an occasion happens. So if Trump did ask Comey on 3 occasions, and Comey did indeed say Trump wasn't under investigation, he'll have legally done nothing wrong.
The only way Comey could lose in this situation is if he lies for no reason.
I'm not sure why it matters if Comey lied to Trump about being under investigation. If the police can lie about their identity in a prostitution sting, why can't Comey lie to Trump about the investigation, especially if it is a highly classified IC investigation.
Of course the President should be able to get truthful information about anything regardless of the classification or sensitivity from the FBI, except if he is subject to an counter intelligence investigation.
Of course the President should be able to get truthful information about anything regardless of the classification or sensitivity from the FBI, except if he is subject to an counter intelligence investigation.
Angelus Errare
Banned
She looks possessed
Karsticles
Member
The clear question was whether the Department of Justice has asked the FBI to stop cases in the past.
Trump is not part of the Department of Justice.
Spend some more time with the spice, little mouse!
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
That is the 3rd poster I have seen try to argue that nonsense since it originated on zerohedge and got posted on r/The_Donald. That is probably where Hannity got the idea in the first place since his show aired the day after it appeared on zerohedge.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-18/comey-admits-under-oath-obstructions-investigations-never-happened
BronsonLee
Member
Are you a cop
You have to tell me if you're a cop, you know
You have to tell me if you're a cop, you know
Oh holy shit, now I can't unsee it
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