DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Trump-Russia Pt.2

Comey wasn't alone: Trump told other intelligence chiefs to say there was no collusion

By Mark Sumner
Thursday Jun 22, 2017 · 8:30 AM EDT

At a Senate hearing earlier this month, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers refused to answer questions about any conversations they had held with Donald Trump, leaving Senators steaming. But behind closed doors, both men dropped their verbal games and carefully worded evasions.

Two of the nation's top intelligence officials told Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team and Senate investigators, in separate meetings last week, that President Donald Trump suggested they say publicly there was no collusion between his campaign and the Russians, according to multiple sources.
During the earlier hearing, both Coats and Rogers claimed the non-privilege privilege that seems to be the general response of everyone in the Trump regime—an unsupportable claim that any conversation with Trump is automatically protected, even without any claim of executive privilege. Rogers also repeatedly retreated behind a claim that he had “never been directed to do anything illegal, immoral, unethical or inappropriate.”

But as many suspected at the time, the key to that phrase was in the word “directed.”

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers described their interactions with the President about the Russia investigation as odd and uncomfortable, but said they did not believe the President gave them orders to interfere, according to multiple sources familiar with their accounts.
Trump merely asked them to interfere, he didn’t order them to do it. That’s where we are.

In James Comey’s testimony, Trump used the word ‘hoped.’ As in he hoped that Comey could find a way to drop the investigation against Michael Flynn.

Republicans quickly lined up behind this word, scoffing at the idea that any statement including ‘hoped’ could be taken as an order. But Comey left no doubt that he regarded Trump’s statement as pressure to drop the investigation—an impression that, considering the relative position of the two men, seems entirely logical. No one, if in a private meeting with not just their boss, but their boss’s boss, would readily dismiss a request for action, even if that action was couched in nice terms. The fact that Trump waited until he had Comey alone before making the request only emphasized the importance of what Trump was ‘hoping’ for.

The “odd” and “uncomfortable” requests made to Coats and Rogers may indicate that they also got similar alone-time with Trump before getting asked—nicely, nicely—to get out there and tell America something that they, at the very least, didn’t know to be true.

Trump has said repeatedly that no collusion occurred. "After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my 'collusion with the Russians,' nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!" he tweeted June 16.
That’s right. There’s only proof that Micheal Flynn, Carter Page, Paul Manafort, Jefferson Sessions, and Jared Kushner had illicit contact with the Russians. Trump just got hundreds of millions to sell Russians condos and buildings at inflated prices, probably as part of a money laundering scheme. Like the money laundering for which he paid a $10 million fine at his failing casino.

Nothing to see here.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/6/...etail=emaildkre

Newt Gingrich claims Trump lied about tapes of White House conversations to scare James Comey

'He's not a professional politician,' the former House Speaker says in the President's defence

Emily Shugerman New York 2 hours ago


Former Speaker of the House and longtime Donald Trump confidant Newt Gingrich has claimed the President lied about having tapes of his conversations with James Comey in order to intimidate the former FBI Director.

"I think [Mr Trump] was in his way instinctively trying to rattle Comey," Mr Gingrich told the Associated Press. "He's not a professional politician. He doesn't come back and think about Nixon and Watergate. His instinct is: 'I'll outbluff you'."

Mr Trump first appeared to threaten Mr Comey with recordings of their White House conversations in a tweet last month.

“James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” he wrote.

The tweet came on the heels of a New York Times report claiming Mr Comey had kept extensive records of his meetings with Mr Trump in the months before the President fired him.

In one of those meetings, according to Mr Comey, the President had asked him to pledge his loyalty. In another, he suggested the FBI Director drop his investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

If tapes of these meetings do exist, they could provide crucial evidence to the ongoing Senate, House, and Justice Department investigations into possible Trump campaign collusion with Russia – and the reported investigation into potential obstruction of justice by Mr Trump.

Mr Gingrich’s comments, however, reflect a growing opinion in Washington that Mr Trump manufactured the idea to dissuade Mr Comey from talking.

Outside advisers to Mr Trump told the Associated Press the President never mentioned the tapes in their conversations. The Secret Service has no records of these tapes, according to documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal. And more than a half-dozen White House staffers told the Associated Press they are unaware of any recording devices in the White House.

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!

Still, the President has refused to clarify whether or not the tapes exist. Two weeks ago, Mr Trump told reporters he would clear the matter up "maybe sometime in the very near future”.

"You are going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer,” he added.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that he expects an announcement on the tapes “this week," adding: "When he is ready, we will let you know."

If Mr Trump does confirm the existence of the tapes, it should make at least one person in Washington very happy.

"Lordy, I hope there are tapes," Mr Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee this month.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/...s-a7802996.html

BREAKING:

You are up to your old tricks again.

Baseless accusations do not make a case.
Twist and slanting conversations between Trump and his people is just plain wrong.

Seems everytime a leak comes out it gets REBUFFED at some point ..

Comey actually refuted a bunch of them when he testified .. but u wouldn't know it cause the press doesn't know how to apologize to trump and the mindless just keep following the pied piper down whatever rabbit hole they choose ..

So sad ..

I think this time we just let them run with their folly and laugh at them later.

I really dislike trump with a passion. Talks about tapes, and now doesn't have any.

Ok.

So, with all these "anonymous" leaks, and now even named leaks........they still have nothing?

Trump said he would testify under oath.

Well, congress should call him on it, then fact check whatever come she out of his mouth.

Trump: 'I did not make, and do not have' Comey tape


https://www.yahoo.com/gma/trump-did-not-not-comey-tapes-171453365--abc-news-topstories.html

Despite his tweet in the aftermath of James Comey's dismissal in May, President Donald Trump did not make and does not have tapes of his conversations with the former FBI director, he tweeted Thursday.

"With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea whether there are 'tapes' or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings," wrote Trump in a series of tweets.



Trump appears to have left open the possibility that recordings of their conversations may exist.

In May, three days after Comey's firing, Trump wrote: "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"


Trump previously declined to confirm or deny the existence of tapes, even as Comey shared details of his interactions with the president with associates and testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"I'll tell you about it over a short period of time. I'm not hinting at anything," said Trump at a joint press conference with the president of Romania on June 9. "You're going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer," he later added.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

When did Trump ever say he had tapes?
Link?
Proof?
Twist?
Lie?

Where did I say that he had tapes?

Making things up again, Alex Jones?

He's the one who even brought up the idea of tapes. Fact.

Yea, that's my reaction to every one of trump's tweets, as well.

Well the hell is this crap lmfao. Trump supporters, y'all got some explaining to do.

Newt Gingrich claims Trump lied about tapes of White House conversations to scare James Comey

The Independent


https://www.yahoo.com/news/newt-gingrich-claims-trump-lied-140108185.html

Former Speaker of the House and longtime Donald Trump confidant Newt Gingrich has claimed the President lied about having tapes of his conversations with James Comey in order to intimidate the former FBI Director.

"I think [Mr Trump] was in his way instinctively trying to rattle Comey," Mr Gingrich told the Associated Press. "He's not a professional politician. He doesn't come back and think about Nixon and Watergate. His instinct is: 'I'll outbluff you'."

Mr Trump first appeared to threaten Mr Comey with recordings of their White House conversations in a tweet last month.

“James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” he wrote.

The tweet came on the heels of a New York Times report claiming Mr Comey had kept extensive records of his meetings with Mr Trump in the months before the President fired him.

In one of those meetings, according to Mr Comey, the President had asked him to pledge his loyalty. In another, he suggested the FBI Director drop his investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

If tapes of these meetings do exist, they could provide crucial evidence to the ongoing Senate, House, and Justice Department investigations into possible Trump campaign collusion with Russia – and the reported investigation into potential obstruction of justice by Mr Trump.

Mr Gingrich’s comments, however, reflect a growing opinion in Washington that Mr Trump manufactured the idea to dissuade Mr Comey from talking.

Outside advisers to Mr Trump told the Associated Press the President never mentioned the tapes in their conversations. The Secret Service has no records of these tapes, according to documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal. And more than a half-dozen White House staffers told the Associated Press they are unaware of any recording devices in the White House.

James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
Still, the President has refused to clarify whether or not the tapes exist. Two weeks ago, Mr Trump told reporters he would clear the matter up "maybe sometime in the very near future”.

"You are going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer,” he added.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that he expects an announcement on the tapes “this week," adding: "When he is ready, we will let you know."

If Mr Trump does confirm the existence of the tapes, it should make at least one person in Washington very happy.

"Lordy, I hope there are tapes," Mr Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee this month.

Newt is incorrect, Trump never said he had tapes.
Newt is correct in suggesting Trump tried to scare Comey, and he did. He got Comey to panic and leak confidential information to the Press.
He got Comey to panic and hang Loretta Lynch.

How was it confidential?

Seems like a lot of lying going on. So I'll just go with Comey over trump.

Of course you will.

Thank you! Trump tried to scare Comey equals witness intimidation and interfering with an investigation. Bad for Trump.

Also you are admitting that Trump's actions caused the leak of said information. Good for Comey.

There was no confidential information leaked. Stating non classified information does not constitute a leak. I know it's a foreign concept to you, but it's called telling the truth. Being forthright in a government investigation.

link?

Comey admitted single Trump leak, but were there others?

President Trump’s legal team may be prepared to show a trail of leaks to The New York Times by former FBI Director James Comey – dating back to at least March – in a pair of complaints set to be filed to the Justice Department inspector general and Senate Judiciary Committee, a source close to the team told Fox News.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/...ere-others.html

Here is a way you can get Trump...

Gregg Jarrett: Will Mueller & Comey use a false case of obstruction to trigger impeachment?

“The indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.” -- DOJ opinion, October 16, 2000

The Department of Justice has long held that it would be unconstitutional to criminally charge and prosecute a sitting president. The Constitution itself expressly states that “indictment, trial, judgment and punishment” can occur only after a president is convicted upon impeachment (Article 1, Section 3).

However, there is nothing to prevent a special counsel from investigating a president and leveling an accusation with no formal charge. The accusation could be completely manufactured and meritless. Proving it in a court of law would be irrelevant because impeachment is a political act, not a legal one.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/2...mpeachment.html

With Mueller having surrounded himself with Hillary/Obama donors and 97 percent of the existing Justice Dept having voted for Hillary, it could work.

Another way you may get Trump is if you can get Mike Flynn to turn on him.

I don't want anybody to 'get' Trump, 40. If he's innocent, he should get his 4 years, then the voters can speak again. My issue is I don't think he's innocent. I want him to prove it, but he won't. That leaves somebody else with the job of proving he's guilty.

That goes so far against the American way. Innocent until proven guilty. You just said you think he is guilty until he proves himself innocent. Wow!!!

In this case .. i wonder how one proves himself innocent ...

And I'm seriously not sure exaclty what they mean by collusion ...

Did we give them Podesta's password .. oh wait .. he did that ... ...

Then the dnc wouldn't let the Feds look at their servers .. makes one wonder what else could have been on there ... thank god there so honest ... there's honest Abe and right behind them is the honest Clinton's and oBUMa ... thank god the press is on top of that ..... ...

Seriously .... I'm not sure exactly what they mean by collusion ... exactly what do they think may have happen ... collusion is a pretty broad term ... add that to a bunch of reports from UNNAMED SOURCES and u got yourself a boondoggle ...

So if they can get Flynn to tell the truth Trump is in trouble? That could be.

Yet I'm sure you've never wondered what they would have found in the RNC's servers. lol

That is your twist on what I said. Just like your Media would do.

There's nothing to twist. You said a way to get Trump is to get Flynn to turn on him. I'd say you may be right.

Now you are lying.
You said exactly what you posted...

"So if they can get Flynn to tell the truth Trump is in trouble? That could be."

Now, once the twist with your personal slant is pointed out to all, you back it down. Typical.

No .. i haven't ... i don't waste my time on "what ifs" ... I'm a reality based guy ...

I'm sure it would have been damming ... theres a TON OF MONEY involved .. people do crazy things for money ...

U ever wonder why the dnc wouldn't let them fo their jobs and turn there computers/servers over? ..

I don't .. cause it don't matter ...

U in a bad mood today cause u sure seem like it ...

Nah, I'm fine. My point is that they're all crooks and liars on both sides. Those "gotchya moments" on either side really don't mean that much to me.

Not saying you do it, but so many try to use things like this try to point out how bad the other side is while pretending that their own don't do the same thing.

At least the RNC had the FBI look into their servers.
Only the DNC refused. That is where the wonder is.

It makes me wanna puke ... there all crooks ... i agree there ...

And I've done it on here plenty ... i see why folks think they know how i stand by how I've posted ... i got caught up in the BS ... ASHAMED of myself ... lesson learned ... i will walk away from this forum (or however the hell u leave .. *L*) before i get caught up in that crap again ..

I may be a douche to some .. but only when they deserve it ... and i wlil do it w/o going back to the gutter ...

Trump appears to float a major shake-up in the Russia investigation during Fox News interview

Bryan Logan
Business Insider June 23, 2017

President Donald Trump during a Fox News interview appeared to make a case for getting Robert Mueller pulled off the FBI's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election.

Excerpts from an interview Trump had with "Fox and Friends" released Thursday night showed an adamant Trump criticizing Mueller, a former FBI director, for his past association with James Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director in May amid the bureau's Russia investigation.

"Well he's very, very good friends with Comey, which is very bothersome ... We're going to have to see," Trump said of Mueller. The president also accused Mueller of hiring Hillary Clinton supporters to oversee portions of the investigation.

The Trump-Russia inquiry has grown dramatically since Mueller took the reins last month, and it now includes an investigation into possible financial connections between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. Mueller is also reportedly investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, sparked by accusations that the president had tried to influence the investigation.

Trump told Fox News' Ainsley Earhardt "there has been no obstruction, there has been no collusion," and the president accused Comey of leaking information to reporters.

Comey testified under oath before the Senate that Trump, in the first days of his presidency, had demanded Comey's loyalty during a private dinner at the White House. Comey said he was noncommittal.

Comey also said Trump privately asked him to "let go" of the FBI's investigation of Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

After Trump fired Comey, he told NBC News' Lester Holt that he had the Russia investigation in mind when he made his decision.

Since then, Trump and his surrogates have made public statements suggesting that the administration was floating the possibility of a major shake-up in the Russia investigation.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called Mueller the "tip of a deep-state spear aimed at" Trump, after it was reported that Mueller was adding obstruction of justice to the FBI's investigation into Russia and the Trump campaign.

Several other Trump allies echoed Gingrich's remarks, including conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who said Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should fire Mueller," and radio host Bill Mitchell, who suggested Mueller and Comey may have "colluded" and said Mueller should "immediately" step down.

Those rumblings, among others, were labeled by critics as a move to discredit Mueller's findings before the investigation was finished.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-appears-float-major-shakeup-062419357.html?.tsrc=fauxdal

Don't do it Donnie!

I thought they just came out saying he had no intention of firing Mueller? Is he getting scared or can't he keep his story straight? Perplexing.

More evidence that Trump isn't stupid.

Mueller is good friends with Comey.
Mueller signs on a whole slew of Democrat supporters as his investigators.
Democrats are sworn to get Trump. To shut him down.

Nope, Trump ain't stupid and neither are We the People.

lol its hilarious watching the trump supporters now try to discredit yet another person investigating trump.

i would say don't drink the koolaid, but it's clearly too late for all of that. go down with that ship if you want to.

If Mueller was the good and honest Prosecutor that many say he is, he would Recuse himself from this case.