Trump: 'I Did Not Make, And Do Not Have' Recordings Of Comey

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

This post has been updated with Trump's tweets.

President Trump acknowledged Thursday that he doesn't have any tapes of conversations with former FBI director James B. Comey, finally coming clean after playing a nearly six-week-long game.

41m

Donald J. Trump 

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea...

 

 Follow

Donald J. Trump 

 

✔@realDonaldTrump

...whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings.

9:55 AM - 22 Jun 2017

•  
•  

 

 

And in the end, it wasn't just another bluff from Trump; it was another bluff that was called and that continued to chip away at Trump's honesty and credibility.

Trump last month wielded those potential tapes as a very thinly veiled threat against Comey. And ever since then, he and the White House have decided to withhold the truth from the American people, refusing to answer a simple yes-or-no question about whether they had tapes.

 

 

But Newt Gingrich just gave away the game earlier Thursday, for all intents and purposes. In an interview with the Associated Press, the Trump-backing former House speaker basically admitted that Trump was just bluffing to try to get inside Comey's head.

“I think he was in his way instinctively trying to rattle Comey,” Gingrich said. “He's not a professional politician. He doesn't come back and think about Nixon and Watergate. His instinct is: 'I'll outbluff you.'”

Apparently not being a “professional politician” is a license for dishonesty -- because that's what this was. And adding insult to injury, it didn't even work.

This is just the latest in a long line of Trump bluffs. There was the time he was going to force the House to vote on its health-care bill, pass or fail, until he urged that it be delayed in the face of defeat. There was the time during the spending debate when the White House signaled Trump would allow a shutdown if the bill didn't fund his border wall, only to back down just a couple of days later. More examples abound.

But this has been a particularly brazen brand of bluffing from the president of the United States. Trump threatened a former top government official using a falsehood to try to get him to soften his testimony. It's not difficult to attach this to the lengthening list of things suggesting Trump has tampered in the Russia investigation, or even obstructed justice in doing so.

And for a president who has huge trouble with facts, it displays a rather striking disregard for the truth. No, Trump never said clearly that he actually had the tapes, but he has left that possibility out there for weeks, refusing to go on the record. Politics tends to be a pretty rough-and-tumble business, but this is pretty unapologetic political nihilism, plain and simple.

[smilesammich 10,727]

well that season finale was a bust; bad tv..bad production..the script had promise but no follow through. bummer

 

 

 

Updated at 1:59 p.m. ET

President Trump gave a straight answer on Thursday as to whether he has recordings of his private conversations with fired FBI Director James Comey — No.

2h

Donald J. Trump 

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea...

 Follow

Donald J. Trump 

 

✔@realDonaldTrump

...whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings.

12:55 PM - 22 Jun 2017

The question of the existence of tapes arose on May 12, when shortly after firing Comey, Trump tweeted the former FBI Director "better hope there are no 'tapes' of our conversations."

Donald J. Trump 

 

✔@realDonaldTrump

James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!

8:26 AM - 12 May 2017

 

That tweet appeared to come in response to a New York Times article that said during a private dinner at the White House, Trump asked Comey for "loyalty."

Comey testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he told the president he would be "honestly loyal" and that the conversation made him "uneasy." He also said he orchestrated a leak of information from memos he wrote about his recollection from private conversations with the president to trigger the naming of a special counsel, which did follow.

At one point during his Senate testimony on June 8, Comey memorably said, "Lordy, I hope there are tapes." He added, "The president surely knows whether he taped me, and if he did, my feelings aren't hurt. Release the entire — release all the tapes, I'm good with it."

 

http://www.npr.org/2017/06/22/533965746/trump-i-did-not-make-and-do-not-have-recordings-of-comey

[CaliCat 3,957]

bad tv..bad production..the script had promise but no follow through

 

Isn;t that the Trump brand at its best though?

[smilesammich 10,727]

1 minute ago, CaliCat said:

bad tv..bad production..the script had promise but no follow through

 

Isn;t that the Trump brand at its best though?

i'm very disappointed. trump should know better than to even cut to a commercial with this empty bag

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

16 minutes ago, smilesammich said:

i'm very disappointed. trump should know better than to even cut to a commercial with this empty bag

I agree, This is disappointing Pledge .  Its like watching Ocean's Eleven when the final act shows Danny Ocean (George Clooney) beat to a pulp hanging on by a thread thrown out to the curb in garbage and Julia Roberts running off with the Douchey Andy Garcia Casino Owner.  Very unsatisfying.  I think Trump needs to bring in Mark Burnett to brush up some of these plotlines.

28 minutes ago, CaliCat said:

bad tv..bad production..the script had promise but no follow through

 

Isn;t that the Trump brand at its best though?

[IAMX 3,055]

How is that being dishonest?

 

- I didn't record anything

- If Comey recorded anything, he better not leak them to the press

 

"Dishonest"

 

wat?

 

Boy is the fake news WaPo ever reaching. 

 

Trying to fabricate controversy isn't gonna have any effect anymore WaPo, try something new.

Edited June 22, 2017 by IAMX

[CaliCat 3,957]

3 hours ago, ccneat said:

This post has been updated with Trump's tweets.

President Trump acknowledged Thursday that he doesn't have any tapes of conversations with former FBI director James B. Comey, finally coming clean after playing a nearly six-week-long game.

41m

Donald J. Trump 

 

✔ @realDonaldTrump

With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea...

 

 Follow

Donald J. Trump 

 

✔@realDonaldTrump

...whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings.

9:55 AM - 22 Jun 2017

•  
•  

 

 

And in the end, it wasn't just another bluff from Trump; it was another bluff that was called and that continued to chip away at Trump's honesty and credibility.

Trump last month wielded those potential tapes as a very thinly veiled threat against Comey. And ever since then, he and the White House have decided to withhold the truth from the American people, refusing to answer a simple yes-or-no question about whether they had tapes.

 

 

But Newt Gingrich just gave away the game earlier Thursday, for all intents and purposes. In an interview with the Associated Press, the Trump-backing former House speaker basically admitted that Trump was just bluffing to try to get inside Comey's head.

“I think he was in his way instinctively trying to rattle Comey,” Gingrich said. “He's not a professional politician. He doesn't come back and think about Nixon and Watergate. His instinct is: 'I'll outbluff you.'”

Apparently not being a “professional politician” is a license for dishonesty -- because that's what this was. And adding insult to injury, it didn't even work.

This is just the latest in a long line of Trump bluffs. There was the time he was going to force the House to vote on its health-care bill, pass or fail, until he urged that it be delayed in the face of defeat. There was the time during the spending debate when the White House signaled Trump would allow a shutdown if the bill didn't fund his border wall, only to back down just a couple of days later. More examples abound.

But this has been a particularly brazen brand of bluffing from the president of the United States. Trump threatened a former top government official using a falsehood to try to get him to soften his testimony. It's not difficult to attach this to the lengthening list of things suggesting Trump has tampered in the Russia investigation, or even obstructed justice in doing so.

And for a president who has huge trouble with facts, it displays a rather striking disregard for the truth. No, Trump never said clearly that he actually had the tapes, but he has left that possibility out there for weeks, refusing to go on the record. Politics tends to be a pretty rough-and-tumble business, but this is pretty unapologetic political nihilism, plain and simple.

 

 

Of course it was another bluff. The so-called president is equal parts hot-air and Cheetos dust!  LOL

[Ban Hammer 13,643]

duplicate topics merged

[OriZ 3,157]

I called this on day 1...that was an easy one.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

Donny : No Mommy I did not steal any cookies from the cookie jar even though I told you earlier I might have and would let you know later if I did or not and all I know
is you will be disappointed with the answer.

Later : I don't know of any cookies missing from the jar, I did not see any walk by.

 

WTH Donny ?! Who did this mess while you distracted me with the dang cookie jar babble ?

 

 

 

 

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

1 hour ago, OriZ said:

I called this on day 1...that was an easy one.

Pics or it never happened

[OriZ 3,157]

11 minutes ago, ccneat said:

Pics or it never happened

 

 

[IAMX 3,055]

8 minutes ago, OriZ said:

 

 

Reported for plagiarizing yourself. 

[OriZ 3,157]

4 minutes ago, IAMX said:

Reported for plagiarizing yourself. 

haha...is that against TOS?

[Dashinka 24,871]

8 hours ago, OriZ said:

I called this on day 1...that was an easy one.

No doubt.  The Left says Trump is an idiot, but he seems to be playing them like a violin.