President Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L) watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Mike Allen, Axios: After Comey memos, Trump's survival at stake
Republicans close to the White House fear that yesterday's revelations could take President Trump into a legal or constitutional realm where his staff and supporters can't save him.
"A whole new door has opened," said a well-known Republican operative who has worked hard to help the Trump White House.
"A week ago, we were talking about the agenda grinding to a halt," the Republican said. "Now, the train is going down the hill backwards."
More officials are likely to need lawyers, and could face subpoenas for texts and emails off personal devices. They could be asked questions like: "Did the president ever talk about this in your presence?" ... "Were you in the room?" ... "Is there a record?"
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Predictions of President Trump's destruction have been non-stop since he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President almost 2 years ago .... and they have all been wrong. But this time .... they may be right. This blogger never understood why President Trump did not fire FBI Director Comey when he won the election .... or why did he not fire him after the inauguration. I lost count on how many times I said in this blog that he should be dismissed .... even raising the question on why is he still there on the morning before he was terminated. That is why I am not surprised that the deliberate and timely leak of the Comey memo confirms to me not only how extremely politicised the former FBI Director is .... but more importantly .... how Washington itself is gearing itself up to stop President Trump's agenda. The Comey memo is the excuse that many have been looking for to open up multiple investigations into the Trump administration that will .... I predict .... put the focus away from pushing his agenda to instead answering questions to Congressional investigations. This is going to get worse .... and this little leak will be one of many. And speaking of former FBI Director Comey .... I regret not posting this commentary a few days ago because it does explain a lot on who and what former FBI Director Comey really is .... Good riddance to James Comey, Obama's enabler (Matt Schlapp, The Hill).
Update: A regular reader just asked me on what is it about former FBI Director Comey that made me suspicious/distrustful of him from the beginning. The answer is simple .... experience and instinct. I survived years working and rising in the Soviet bureaucracy (foreign affairs) .... I developed a good nose on who to avoid and who not to trust. In the case of the FBI Director .... it started last year with the Hillary emails .... all the alarm bells started to ring loud for me. On a side note .... I am surprised that President Trump missed this. He is always bragging that he is good at reading people .... I say that he is not .... especially on how ideology plays in government. And while I know that he is not ideological .... here is an easy prediction .... he is going to get a schooling now on how ideological Washington really is.
Update #2: I am laughing right now .... someone just emailed me his comment that people who write contemporary memos like how FBI Director did are just nothing more but "weasels who practice CYA". And just now I have another reader who says she is a lawyer and s telling me that even if President Trump did say "I hope" you will drop the investigation to FBI Director Comey .... saying you hope is not "obstruction of justice" .... and that is why "Comey who is a top lawyer before he started to work for the government did not raise this issue when questioned by Senators weeks ago".
OK .... :)
Earlier this morning I mentioned to regular reader and commentator Jay that when I post on U.S. politics, traffic for this blog increases 3x. I should have also added that my email box fills up very quickly.