Trump stated he fired Comey because of Russia, that he refused to acknowledge publicly that Trump was not under investigation regarding any collusion. Just re-read all the posts in this thread by Jeff and others accusing Trump of collusion.
First off, you would do well not to put words in my mouth. I'm pretty darn sure you won't find a post by me accusing Trump of collusion. I'm pretty sure I've been careful of stating facts as I've read and understood them and being incredulous that Trump STILL refuses to accept that Russia meddled on our election with the purpose of helping Trump and hurting Hillary. I speculate that the investigation into the Russian meddling may indeed find some collusion or coordination between members of Trumps campaign and Wikileaks and Russians. I also think it will be tough proving it.
I also think that people who have been involved with Trump and his campaign–his "satellites" as it were have engaged in what are likely to be illegal activities and are likely facing prosecution and possible jail time. That's why Flynn is asking for immunity and why I suspect Paul Manafort is working with the FBI investigations...
As far as why Trump said he fired Comey, uh, well, it seems now you're putting words in Trump's mouth as well. This is what Trump said to Lest Holt about why he fired Comey:
TRUMP: Look, he's a showboat. He's a grandstander.
The FBI has been in turmoil. You know that, I know that, everybody knows that.
You take a look at the FBI a year ago, it was in virtual turmoil -- less than a year ago. It hasn't recovered from that.
HOLT: Monday you met with the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
TRUMP: Right.
HOLT: Did you ask for a recommendation?
TRUMP: What I did is I was going to fire Comey. My decision. It was not...
HOLT: You had made the decision before they came into your office (ph).
TRUMP: I -- I was going to fire Comey. I -- there's no good time to do it, by the way.
They...
HOLT: Because in your letter, you said...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: They -- they were...
HOLT: ...I -- I accepted -- accepted their recommendations.
TRUMP: Yeah, well, they also...
HOLT: So, you had already made the decision.
TRUMP: Oh, I was going to fire regardless of recommendation.
HOLT: So, there was...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: They -- he made a recommendation. He's highly respected. Very good guy, very smart guy.
And the Democrats like him. The Republicans like him.
He had made a recommendation. But regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey knowing there was no good time to do it
And in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself -- I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should've won.
And the reason they should've won it is the electoral college is almost impossible for a Republican to win. It's very hard because you start off at such a disadvantage. So, everybody was thinking they should've won the election. This was an excuse for having lost an election.
HOLT: But were -- are you angry...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLT: ...angry with Mr. Comey because of his Russia investigation?
TRUMP: I just want somebody that's competent. I am a big fan of the FBI. I love the FBI.
HOLT: But were you a fan of...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: ...people of the FBI.
HOLT: him taking up that investigation?
TRUMP: I think that -- about the Hillary Clinton investigation?
HOLT: No, about -- about the Russian investigation and possible...
TRUMP: No, I don't care...
HOLT: ...links between...
TRUMP: Look -- look, let me tell you. As far as I'm concerned, I want that thing to be absolutely done properly.
When I did this now, I said I probably maybe will confuse people. Maybe I'll expand that -- you know, I'll lengthen the time because it should be over with. It should -- in my opinion, should've been over with a long time ago because it -- all it is an excuse.
But I said to myself I might even lengthen out the investigation. But I have to do the right thing for the American people.
He's the wrong man for that position.
Huh? So, tell me why Trump fired Comey again? Does what Trump said make any sense?
Now we do have notes of what Trump said to the Russians about firing Comey: “
I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off. I’m not under investigation." Ok, Comey agrees that he's not under investigation for collusion.
What Trump
STILL doesn't get is that at least up till now, he, Trump wasn't under investigation but the Trump campaign sure was–since July 2016 and THAT investigation is far from over...and while Trump STILL doesn't believe Russia meddled in our election, the FBI and two congressional committees are investigating Russia's involvement and additionally, whether there was any collusion between the Russians and anybody from the Trump campaign.
So, while Trump himself may not be under investigation, the other investigations are going full speed ahead and now there's a new investigator on the scene by the name of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Who announced the hiring of top criminal law expert Michael Dreeben (which is really bad news for anybody who has anything to hide).
Top criminal law expert joins special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probeOne of the federal government’s top criminal law specialists is joining the investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III centered on possible coordination between President Trump’s associates and Russian officials.
Justice Department deputy solicitor general Michael Dreeben, who has argued more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court, is the department’s go-to lawyer on criminal justice cases and is highly respected by Democrats and Republicans because of his encyclopedic knowledge of criminal law.
Dreeben will work part time for Mueller, according to Justice officials, while he continues to oversee the department’s criminal appellate cases.
Former and current Justice Department officials say that Mueller’s recruitment of Dreeben shows how serious he is about the investigation and signals complexities in the probe.
“Michael is the most brilliant and most knowledgeable federal criminal lawyer in America — period,” said Walter Dellinger, a law professor at Duke University School of Law and acting solicitor general for the 1996-1997 term of the Supreme Court.
So, there's President Trump who decided to fire Comey because of that Russian stuff and low and behold now the investigation is being done by a special council, the FBI and two intelligence committees in congress.
Naw, I don't think Trump's "
Russian Problem" is going away any time soon...sorry Alan :~(
