As Blasting News reported, there were expectations that President Trump would take to Twitter during former Fbi Director James Comey's hearing on Thursday. While reports based off of various White House officials who expected it also had the view that no one could stop him. Blasting News also reported that his staff was going to try and keep him busy that morning. When he didn't react during the hearing as promised, there were also reports that said that White House council had stopped him from using Twitter as it would be seen as him being distracted once again.
Reporter vs Trump on FBI's Flynn investigation
But after the hearing took place, the President seemed to do just as much damage to himself -- perhaps even more so --- when standing next to the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on Friday, answering questions about the hearing. The reporter said to Trump that Comey had said under oath that the President had told the former FBI Director that "he hoped" he could let go of the investigation being conducted on Gen. Michael Flynn. Blasting News also reported on the conversation between Comey and President Trump when that story broke about his memos.
The President cut into the reporter's question saying "I didn't say that," which was the President referring to him saying to Comey that he "hoped" he could let his investigation on Flynn go." As a member of the Trump transition team and his National Security Adviser, Flynn was caught by the Justice Department (DOJ) colluding with Russian officials over the phone in December about lifting sanctions.
The DOJ's acting attorney general at the time, Sally Yates, warned the White House about Flynn's vulnerability which they ignored until Flynn was forced to resign for the scandal. Gen. Flynn has been under investigation by the FBI and other agencies -- such as the Pentagon -- since.
Trump's vindication for telling Comey to drop investigation
The reporter then asked the President: "So he lied about that?" And it is clear that the reporter was trying to get the President to say right out that Comey was lying about his statement. Despite an administration that has been careless about much of their controversies, the President would not say that Comey lied and said specifically: "Well, I mean I will tell you I didn't say that."
But rather than let that be the answer, President Trump seemed compelled to also add that there would be nothing wrong if he did say it, which is common in his defense of things that he has said in the past and a further confirmation that he did actually say it. He also added that many of the reports that he's read on the matter seem to have vindicated him as him doing nothing wrong with him telling James Comey to let go of the investigation on Flynn.
