Predictably enough, Trump's response is a garbled misconstruction of the IG's report. It is so far off base and disconnected from the report's contents that one thinks the talking points or script Trump was obviously working from was created long before the report actually came out.
Of course, even if the report had been two pages long, in large type, with lots of pictures, he wouldn't have read it.
6
Trump has been steadily destroying democracy, placing the values of a minority above the values of the majority. Now he continues his attack on due process, the assurance of a fair hearing, by attempting to destroy people via Twitter. By the end of his term, what will be left of the America that my family members fought for, the values that we were taught were the envy of the rest of the world?
8
Why is Trump complaining about Comey? By violating FBI regulations and talking about the Clinton e-mail investigation, he handed the Presidency to Trump.
Trump's real problem is the DOJ's Mueller investigation. He wants to discredit them so much that their findings won't be believed.
In this effort, he has Fox News and Sarah Huckabee Sanders reporting the exact opposite of the IG's report's findings.
It's 568 pages long--I wonder who, in the worlds of fake news and authentic, fact-based journalism, has read the report. It's very detailed and neutral.
But regarding Trump and allies, I have never heard so much furious mendacity spewed by them on any day before this one.
The White House's (and media allies) takedown of the IG report is so aggressive, and incorrect in reporting the facts, that it seems the Administration fears something....
8
Trump undermines our entire criminal justice system with his irrational, false and self-serving rants. Fox then allows him a stage upon which to further his conspiracy theories, further endangering the rule of law and our democracy.
Trump is dangerous and if people didn't know that before the 2016 election, they must certainly acknowledge it by now, unless they care nothing for our freedom, liberty and Constitution.
Everything Trump does is merely for his own personal & financial gain.
8
It is the Trump playbook. Attack your opponents, insult them, make up fraudulent lies. Tell a lie big enough and repeat it often in front of television cameras and people believe it. Remember his famous quote, "I love the uneducated!" We see the same playbook with the NY lawsuit about using the Trump Foundation to pay his legal fees, buy his portrait and use the funds for political campaigns. We'll see how he attacks the IRS when they file criminal charges. I suspect, it will be more of the same.
6
Yes, yes, criminal, horrible, disastrous, disgusting, as everybody knows. Lock him up. Lock him up. So tiresome, so tiresome.
3
With a republican party almost completely supine, it is imperative that we get democratic majorities in the midterms.
This obscene abomination of an administration desperately needs checks and balances, and the constitution does not cover the possibility of a leading political party being complicit with a corrupt executive.
5
Wherever the Russian investigation goes now, the country now knows many of the tawdry details of why Peter Strzok out and his paramour turned in her resignation on a single Page.
This is cherry picking the outcome u want but it’s not an important finding of this report requested by Trump, himself.
OIG has upheld Comey’s findings that there is nothing to indict in terms of the Clinton emails. She is cleared.
The second finding is there was no bias on the part of the FBI. On the contrary, Comey’s interjection late in the campaign hurt Clinton and helped Trump.
Although he mentioned the emails between 2 FBI officials, he said there is no evidence that this was acted upon and its ok to discuss personal feelings just not on a government site.
Finally he called Comey out for discussing an ongoing investigation with the public and not heeding his supervisor’s advice. He stated that Comey was more concerned abt the perception of bias than following FBI protocol. Why did he openly discuss the Clinton investigation while following protocol in the one against Trump? Congressional bullying?
3
Trump is treating Comey "like a dog."
Comey's hubris may well have gotten Trump elected, and Trump knows it. Now he is putting the knife to Comey to show that there is no connection between the two.
4
Trump has reading comprehension problems. The IG report said nothing of the sort.
7
The president will keep pushing that line on digital and traditional media, and his propaganda wing at Fox/Sinclair will follow in lock-step until all the oxygen is used up and opposing voices are reduced to whispers.
Media: Do your jobs and protect democracy. Don't play this game.
12
Too many lies, too many twists and turns from this POTUS (well not my POTUS). It's obvious that he did not actually read the IG report (or the summary). Just took what came through FoxNews and twisted even further. Very sad time for our country that we have this dynamic continuing to develop. Those who voted for this (????) will only continue to twist and turn their own thinking and twisted logic (if any) as this rolls along. Very boring to hear this guy (trump) talk. Same dynamic, diffrent variables.
6
I understand that this detestable man is the president, and that everything he says should be a part of the record, but he's abused that so many times with lies that he's lost the privilege of being taken at face value. I think it's time to stop reporting everything that he says, because everything he says is a lie.
10
Trump is horrible, impossibly, absurdly, horrible. I don't see how anyone could read this or watch this video and come to any other conclusion. But there is something worse for our nation than him, the millions of people who can watch this video and see a great leader speaking truth to reporters who refuse to listen.
11
I want Strzok to answer the question, "What precisely did you mean by that?" I stand with the FBI, and believe the current POTUS is not honest or forthright, but I still want to know exactly how he meant to stop Trump.
1
Oh he did reply. His reply was included in the report. He said he was simply agreeing with Lisa. The OIG investigated and found he did not act upon it. He then said that the communications should be held on their private phones not on the government lines
2
Big Shock! Trump is trying to dictate course and content.
Be so glad when this foray into wannabe despotism ends.
7
This was Trump's big opportunity to claim a semi-plausible reason to fire Mueller and, most importantly, to suppress the information Mueller's team already has in hand. As hard as Trump tries to make it so by lying with abandon, it doesn't appear to be the case. Nevertheless, he has no bottom, so the propaganda campaign will continue, devolving into an ever-more-ludicrous orgy of self-pity, paranoia and, most dangerously, desperation.
6
No. The OIG wasn’t investigating the Mueller investigation. It was not part of his charge. Trump asked for Clinton and Comey to be investigated. Mueller was hired after the Comey firing to much applause.
2
What the IG report actually said is irrelevant. Trump had his speech written and his "impromptu" Fox News appearance planned before the report was released. If you bet on Trump lying every time he opened his mouth, you would come out ahead.
8
Another day, another total Trump hypocrisy.
When Comey came out with his very harsh criticism of HRC's carelessness during the campaign, Trump was swift to use those words of Comey to criticize and humiliate HRC.
He loved Comey at the time because he knew Comey helped get him elected.
Then, of course, the tables turned and he fired Comey when Comey wouldn't end the Russian investigation.
Comey and Trump deserve each other.
Comey is not a liar but his hubris and self-righteousness resulted in a disaster for HRC's campaign.
Trump of course, is just a pathological liar and a criminal.
12
Even at this late date many seem unwilling (maybe even unable) to discount Donald Trump's hyperbole and humor. I can see why he rubs many people the wrong way. He's loud and boastful. But he's far from being evil or stupid. He doesn't need to be normalized. He's already normal.
And on many things he's right. He's right that Robert Mueller's investigation has been a joke from the getgo. As far as Russian collusion, there was never any there there (as FBI agent Peter Strzok said at the very beginning). As for obstruction, the Inspector General's report puts paid to the notion that Donald Trump had to trump up a reason to fire James Comey.
See just soundbites or tweets and you might well think Donald Trump is an evil loony. Really listen to what he says, and more importantly what he does, and you will see someone who says and does what he thinks is right, not what he thinks is politically correct.
To me, that's refreshing. I was never a huge fan of Donald Trump, and I'm not one now, but I do think he's doing a remarkable job of being president. I can't see why his critics don't think the same.
1
How refreshing is his policy of separating children from their families and trashing asylum reasons, failing to sign a compromise House bill that would give him 25 billion for the wall and pathway to DACA, allowing Scott Pruitt to continue his EPA pollution, to continue to fraud organizations for profit and gain, to trash and apply tariffs to our allies under the guise of national security? Not refreshing to me and millions of others. This isn’t fun and games this is our democracy at stake. Wake up, man!
5
'Speaking from the heart, from someone who is a criminal, I can't tell you whether Comey should be locked up.'
'But i will always defend our constitution, I can tell you that'
Says the man who calls apples oranges. And gets a huge following for it.
3
"you see what I've done with N.Korea". All hail me!
Sure. Tried to sell it KIm's (and favored sycophants) very own gated Mar-a-Lago condo package with great views - fantastic! And the brutality, starvation, murders - no problem out-of-sight, out-of-mind, (no way they can afford a membership) and anyway his favorite dictators do it too. Once a sleazy salesman, always a sleazy salesman.
9
Where is the right-honorable, integrity-plus Martin Dies, 1st chairman of the re-constituted HUAC, when we need him? Dies died having investigated, for many years, "the diffusion within the United States of subversive and un-American propaganda that is instigated from foreign countries or of a domestic origin and attacks the principle of the form of government as guaranteed by the constitution."
1
He looks like a little kid in that video- lots of hand gestures, lots of blabbering.
Make a headline in all caps if Trump EVER tells the truth. That will be the day.
11
We all know who the real criminal is...
5
Trump now says the IG's report cleared him when, in fact, it cleared him of nothing and furthermore that was not the purpose of the report in whole or in part. The report deals with the conduct of the FBI and its former director, Comey. Neither come out looking wonderful, but there is nothing to indicate that political motivations, which most mature people might have at least in the back of their minds, played a significant role in the Clinton email investigation.
Here's the Trump rule: just blather on. People will believe anything. Keep talking and tweeting and send up a storm of misinformation.
The problem with lying is that the liar comes to believe the lies and gets trapped in them. Trump is deep inside the trap, having lived a life full of distortions, inventions and outright lies. The clock is ticking on just when the bills will come due.
13
The Times writes, "The president has been building a public case that the F.B.I. is a deep state conspiracy with the goal of ousting him from the highest office in the country."
If the President "wins" his case, the New York Times will not be the only entity to suffer grievous harm from the unrestrained and unconstitutional power the President will have thereby succeeded in seizing.
When, if ever, will the Times realize that the studied neutrality of its phrasing above comes from a place that no longer exists? Do you not understand that when the President says that the media is "the enemy of the United States," he means it, and that if he gets the power he wants he will act on it?
He's not "building a case." He is carefully and effectively using lies, smears, and misrepresentations in an effort to cancel an entirely legitimate investigation--for which there is abundant prima facie evidence--into whether he aligned himself with Russia in its successful attempt to corrupt our election. And he is cynically and successfully exploiting the media's traditional assumption that the President of the United States speaks and acts from a baseline of good faith. How have you not noticed that this one doesn't?
Please go read Greg Sargent's piece in the Post today about how the media in its supposedly "neutral" stance is providing crucial assistance to Trump's attack on the rule of law.
8
"Doesn't get any lower than that" Oh, yes it does. Your son, Donald Jr. wrote, "I love it, especially towards the end of Summer", after getting promising dirt from Russian sources. Then, meeting with them, and you drafting a letter to disguise the purpose, after multiple lies from your campaign about no contacts with Russia, even on security clearance forms. Then, lower with calling the media, "Fake news" when they discovered numerous contacts and now saying the investigation into your collusion being a "witch hunt", even after multiple indictments and guilty pleas. How much lower do we have to go before Congress does something? Justice will be served. The day of reckoning is coming.
10
Never let the facts get in the way of a good conspiracy.
2
Comey "served" both Bush and Obama. Exactly the problem. Deep-swamp corruption replete.
Seems Wray isn't what he pretends to be, honest. Needs to reopen the Hillary treason investigation to prove otherwise.
1
Trumps always lies and what he says here is no different. Doubt he is tweeeting much now about the New York lawsuit over his foundation. The Grifter in Chief is up to his ears in cheating over the foundation, and aside from his kids, he will be held liable for his rampant cheating. I only hope that there are criminal laws that cover this kind of cheating. Hopefully the NY A.G. will soon announce indictments of all of the Trump crime family and their bagmen like Lewandowski.
2
Comey will not be "locked up". Hillary will not be "locked up". But if we're lucky, any day now - Donald Trump will be.
Donald Trump is a liar, a cheat and the lowest of human beings there is. I'm disgusted at his continual unprofessional and unfounded comments, and his twisting of the truth to his liking.
Just because Donald says it's so - dosn't make it true. All of us know that fact - it's only Donald who believes his lies. Which is scarier than words can say. The man is mentally unhinged.
Why can't we, as a people. start a petition of "No Confidence" in Trump, to oust him from office? The Republican Party has no back bone or decency and they will never stand up to Trump.
It's time for Americams to take back our country and to make it (literally) great again, by ousting Donald Trump from office.
13
“If you read the I.G. report, I’ve been totally exonerated,”
Um, no.
13
Whenever the so-called pResident calls someone he doesn’t like or perceivs has woronged him something, he only needs to look in the mirror- as he is that which he accuses. He IS the criminal.
8
Put Trump saluting a NK general in "The Disaster Files"
along with his bogus foundation, his military non-service due to a rich dad and a bogus doc report about faked bone spurs, his uncountable lies to the American public and his Birther disgraceful behavior.
Two gossiping FBI folks who said what the majority of America said is NOT the problem, Donald.
8
That's trump loyalty for you: Comey hands trump the Oval Office, yet trump has only inaccurate vicious things to say about him. trump is under tremendous pressure as Mueller, the AG of New York, the IRS, the New York State Commissioner of Taxes, and other legal entities scrutinize his criminal activities. He may crack...
Could these individuals have been biased because they knew about Manafort, Papadapolous and others and how foreign adversaries were using Trump and family to sway political and financial favor? Just saying......
1
Since when is trump calling someone or something a "total disaster" news? He says this kind of thing every time he feels threatened and he feels threatened 24-7. His go-to words: "shameful, disgraceful, disaster, total disaster, vicious, unfair, criminal, horrible" are his only response to anything and everything. Its his automatic reflex, kind of like a Jack in The Box. There is no thought involved. This is the only response he is capable of and, by now, totally expected.
2
The issue is that two unqualified candidates were nominated to run for president.
Read Wayne Barrett's book about the Trump family and their constant failures and ties to unsavory and corrupt people. Read just about any major piece of legislation passed during the Clinton White House years to learn about Clinton racism, and indifference to the blight of most Americans.
Both shared at least three important qualities:
1) both men were womanizers and not the family men projected,
2) both*have trouble saying the truth, and,
3) both* believe that they are above the law.
* Both equals Hillary and Donald. Bill is a basket case that stands by itself.
Historically, Trump's roots go to racism and KKK-ism. His father was arrested in Queens during the 1920's at a KKK rally. The family business was charged with discrimination several times.
Clinton's father was an extreme right wing Republican and she was a Goldwater Gal.
Both male Clinton and Trump avoided serving in the military during Vietnam's little decade long war waged by god fearing America.
Both lived in the higher economic class and neither had/has much to do with anything important to the 90% of Americans struggling to make it through the day.
E-mails and other nonsense aside, one of them had to win the election. And with either America and most Americans (and now the world) are losers.
4
It is certainly true that what Comey did was bad for our Constitution as Trump said. By grandstanding and publicly criticizing Hillary Clinton's use of a private e-mail sever he acted as prosecutor deciding whether or not to indict, not his job as head of the Federal Bureau of INVESTIGATION. By acting as he did TWICE he swayed the 2016 election in Trump's favor. We now have a constitutional crisis having an incompetent narcissist as POTUS.
2
We should all keep in mind that the mindless "lock her up" chant used by Trump in his campaign to incite his lemming base, a phrase he is now using against Comey, has its origins in the Ukrainian presidential election. With Paul Manafort as his close adviser, the ruthless Russian-controlled dictator Yanukovych utilized the very same tactic - indeed, that exact phrase - against his female presidential rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, who was ultimately imprisoned. Wonder how it later ended up in the Trump arsenal - look no further than Manafort and his buddy Yanukovych. The "Russianization" of our democracy continues before our very eyes while Trump's lemmings actually believe and themselves chant that he is making America great again. Ironic, sad, and scary....
6
This country has two "total disasters"--one is Trump and other is Congress.
3
I think that most if not all journalists understand that context is everything when it comes to understanding and evaluating a message. That's why I found this article particularly concerning.
Anyone who has been paying attention to Mr. Trump knows that he's a serial liar, someone who lies about everything no matter how small, and that he's more than willing to distort and pull out of context the information that suits his needs.
Yet knowing all this, this article leads with what Mr. Trump said without placing his words in context at the beginning of the article. Much of the necessary context is found at the end. Since context is everything, why is the information that places Mr. Trump's assertions in the proper context at the end of the article instead at the beginning?
Dear editors of the New York Times, you need to adapt your journalistic style to deal with the reality of this President. Every time you quote him, you can no longer place those quotes in context at the end of the article. Placing those quotes in context needs to be performed along side the quote(s).
6
Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States of America, is abslutely correct, the IG report is a disaster for Comey. Trump did the right yhing by firing Comey and this report vindicates him. I proudly support the President. I proudly support Trump. Thank you.
We know. Thank you.
Clearly, the “total disaster” is this presidency and the Republican Party.
9
he is SO SO sick and there is no cure for malignant narcissism, only doom for the world
3
WHY is he allowed to lie???
8
The pied-piper-trumpet-major blowing hard, again! to summon his rats down the sewer – again! It's mind-boggling that people actually believe his guff, must be his black magic trumpet, people just love a good fantasy especially with all the bells and whistles this one has – to hide from the truth.
2
If Trump has even read the Executive Summary of the IGs report, he will find no mention of his baseless allegation.
Is it just getting dull, too hard to fit over 1 column, or is it just too upsetting for headline writers to work in:
Trump Lies Again:
Alleging FBI Report “Proves”
Obama Used Federal Spies
To Cost Him the Presidency
Yeh, “modern” Times style opposes four-deck multi-font heds.
Maybe drop ‘The 45th President’ tagline on inner page. When appropriate, just switch it for:
Trump Lies Again #nnn
or
The Liar in the White House
maybe
Lies from the White House
not NyT but
Tweet Lies from Trump
2
Trump makes assertions (unsupported by facts) and confuses what he asserts with the TRUTH. That's where we are with this man.
8
The word “bias” appears 120 times in the Inspector General’s report. As the article points out, the report deals with the Hillary Clinton email investigation, not the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, but the report contains 121 references to “Trump.” In the executive summary, the report states: “ In undertaking our analysis, our task was made significantly more difficult because of text and instant messages exchanged on FBI devices and systems by five FBI employees involved in the Midyear [Clinton] investigation. These messages reflected political opinions in support of former Secretary Clinton and against her then political opponent, Donald Trump.” That’s on page three of the executive summary that prefaces the report and it’s just the beginning. On page 497, the report concludes that anti-Trump texts and message exchanged between FBI agents “are not only indicative of a biased state of mind but imply a willingness to take official action to impact a presidential candidate’s electoral prospects.” Five biased FBI employees may not sound like much, but among them were employees assigned to the FBI Clinton investigation, the FBI Russian investigation and the Muller investigation. The report does not total exonerate Trump, but it certainly lends some credence to his claim that the collusion investigation is a politically motivated witch hunt.
2
If anything, the report shows that FBI agents disclosed information harmful to the Clinton campaign, but withheld the blockbuster news that they had a counter-intelligence investigation of Trump. That one agent blew off steam with his girlfriend about a candidate who the evidence suggested might be a criminal or a Russian asset is not particularly shocking, and might be viewed as Patriotic. But nevertheless, it is clear that he did not act on his concerns in a public manner. That Trump would twist the facts to make his argument is unfortunately not a surprise. How many Republican members of congress are so cowed or corrupt that they will follow him?
11
The Inspector General’s report practically guarantees that President Trump will not be indicted on obstruction of justice charges for firing James Comey. Trump made up his mind to fire Comey because the former FBI director refused to say publically what he was telling Trump and Congressional committees privately—that the president wasn’t under investigation in connection with the Russian investigation. Trump found this particularly galling because Comey had called a press conference to announce that Hillary Clinton was no longer under investigation. However, Trump waited until he had supporting recommendations from the attorney general and deputy attorney general. They both recommended that Comey should be fired for reasons now fully detailed by the IG report.
2
The NYT editors need to rewrite the headline to the hyperlinked article. Like yesterday.
Strzok did not say the "...FBI would stop Trump from becoming president."
On page 404 of the report, Strzok explains that his email "was intended to reassure Page that Trump would not be elected, not to suggest that he would do something to impact the investigation." It then states that "Strzok told the OIG that he did not take any steps to try to affect the outcome of the presidential election, in either the Midyear investigation or the Russia investigation."
The FBI could have prevented Trump from being president by telling the American people his campaign was under investigation, but didn't.
8
Trump thinks anyone against him is a criminal. He's missing the fact that he is the biggest one of them all right now.
5
He suffering from dictator syndrome.
1
I don't like you --> go to jail (no crime necessary).
Kim has taught him well.
4
Trump needs to look in a mirror........his emphasize on the false faults of others places a viciously bright light on his immoral decrepitude. There isn't a minute that goes by when his fetid stench of immorality, lack of ethics, self-serving ignorance and grotesque communication destroys our great country from inside and out. As far as Mr. Comey, it is a much harder personal cross to bear when a decent honorable person makes a critical error of judgement than when a lowlife sleazebag like Trump does the same.
3
Later, at a Denny's restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, Trump held up a menu in his right hand and a paper napkin in his left hand and exclaimed so that all diners could hear, "Look at these reports! They clearly demonstrate that the FBI was rootin' and tootin' for Crooked Hillary!"
This country is now the dumbest country in the history of countries.
6
TB - I actually looked for a video of the Dennys episode - that was dumb! I appreciate your satire. But overall I think we're not dumb and will vote this November to provide, finally, the appropriate Congressional checks and balances on the Executive Branch.
2
This tirade reminds me of the call-in rant he unleashed on Fox and Friends a few months back when the host had to politely tell him to shut up.
3
In 1953 he declared that Mrs. Smith was by far the worst first grade teacher in the history of Queens, NY.
6
How about a more accurate headline: Trump's Claims On The IG Report Miss The Point.
9
Gaslighting at a level never seen before. I pity the uneducated and incurious who accept his lies at face value. America must stop this mad man. Global stability is at stake. It's reaching a dangerous boiling point.
9
How surprising that Mr. Trump reviewed the IG report from the DOJ! God Love Mr. Trump, he must have pulled another all nighter on gummy bears!
Actually the Inspector General confirmed that the FBI director was completely biased against Mrs. Clinton, and broke numerous DOJ guidelines to look like a stern street cop against the Democrats, and somehow completely forgot to review Congressman Weiner's emails back in September 2016, because his FBI associates deliberately wanted Hillary's dirty laundry to be put on the White House clothes line 11 days before the election. FBI Director Comey was a red blooded Republican to his core, and still Mr. Trump whines like a girl about how unfair the FBI was for helping him win.
5
From Wikipedia:
Psychological projection is a theory in psychology in which humans defend themselves against their own unconscious impulses or qualities (both positive and negative) by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others.[1] For example, a person who is habitually intolerant may constantly accuse other people of being intolerant. It incorporates blame shifting.
According to some research, the projection of one's unconscious qualities onto others is a common process in everyday life.[2]
——————
It is the single genius of the current squatter in the Oval Office
5
The great irony of all this talk about locking people up coming from the Trump minions (and Trump himself) is that they are far more likely to end up behind bars than all of these other people they are attacking. Flynn, Manafort, Papadopoulos, Page, likely Don Jr. (what a piece of work that guy is), Kushner, etc. They’re all crooked. Comey made a bad judgement call but his intent and actions were not criminal.
I used to wonder how Vichy could possibly have happened in a country like France. And how Germany could possibly have been under the spell of a twisted maniac. And how a significant population of a country could be duped in a massive con which surely could never happen today. But it happened, right here in the USA in 2016. Trump voters, this is on you!
11
Trump can directly reach his base via Twitter and, in this case, Fox News. So what. What matters is that the majority of Americans Remember in November to take out a Trumper. Yes, he has managed to form a sizable base of bigots, racists, homophobes, evangelicals, gun nuts and, it seems, almost every GOP politician. (Strange bedfellows, indeed.) But there are more of us than them. Remember in November.
5
It’s scary how Rudy, Trump and Faux News are stirring up a lynch mob mentality. So 2 employees at the FBI have an affair and discuss their political opinions (like we all do), and these guys are calling for their heads. If you listen to right wing radio, they are convinced Comey is more evil than Osama bin Laden. We are heading into dark times indeed.
9
Trumpy - You win.
I am incapable of futher outrage.
1
When trump reads a document it’s always a la carte. Whether it’s this judicial report , the Ten Commandments, or the Constitution, there is always a lot of self-editing.
Freedom of speech and the press. Delete.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
“Jesus! You can’t do anything.”
3
Trump is setting all this up to fire Mueller and pardon everyone involved. He and his cohorts have been cueing up the IG report to dissolve Mueller’s investigation. Trump has the backing of Hate Radio, Fox, and nearly all Republican voters. And he is betting that nothing will happen to him. Zero!
1
"Christopher Wray will bring it (the FBI) proudly back!"
This is code for "My attack on Christopher Wray will commence shortly."
3
That President Trump would skew the IG report to his liking, fabricating some parts while denying others, is the standard reaction to bad news one expects from dictators and demagogues.
What bothers me is the willing role Fox News plays in advancing the president’s systematic dissembling of our democratic norms. Fox News not only applauds the president’s appointment to high office of thugs and hilariously unqualified people, but endorses his shameless disregard of propriety and civilized behavior, and the corrupt exploitation of his position for personal gain.
The president’s cozy and inappropriate relationship with Fox News makes a mockery of journalistic integrity. The president uses Fox News as his personal propaganda arm. By relentlessly branding other media as conspiring against him and disseminating “fake news,” he has manipulated his impressionable supporters into accepting Fox News as a single source of information.
There is probably a reluctance for the NYT to point fingers at other news outlets. But Fox News is news in name only. Mostly it is a propaganda machine for a corrupt and unethical administration, and exposing its distortions, falsehoods, and unprofessional behavior should be fair game for the responsible media.
11
Right, so Trump read the report? Ha.
Right, so Trump understands the Constitution? Ha!
Right, everybody was out to keep Trump from being President. And gee, look what happened.
1
We all saw it today.
Either Trump read the report and is lying, or he didn't read it and is lying.
6
"The guilty man fleeth where none pursueth." Proverbs 28
3
"President Trump", you want to see a TOTAL DISASTER .... look in the mirror. Believe me!
8
Hitler believed in telling lies so big that their very scale left some residue of credibility. Sounds like Trump. The residue of credibility is mainly licked up by his followers.
5
Donakd, I know you don't like to read, but have someone read it to you.
The conclusions were 1) comey had no political agenda and 2) he should gave been professional and kept his mouth shut.(you should be able to relate to that)
Despite your pal Vlad's best efforts, HRC would have won but for comey's unprofessionalism
But you knew thst..
Nothing in the report makes you look good
5
Watching the outdoor session with reporters was draining and dispiriting. Mr. Trump certainly is willing to take tough questions and his demeanor overall is professional, respectful, smooth and even soothing. But at the same time he utters lie after lie after lie. For instance, he said that the policy of separating children from their parents "is the Democrats' law."
And he makes tactically, deliberately misleading statements, like remarking that just a short while ago people were worried about war with North Korea - and then he emphasized the huge numbers of probable dead if a nuclear strike were to be aimed at South Korea - but now all those many millions of vulnerable people can sleep well at night "because I have solved the problem [yes he actually said that], this problem that I inherited." All of which conveniently sidesteps the fact that the new spike in anxiety about war was a direct result of his "fire and fury" blustering. He blew up the balloon, deflated it himself and then said, in effect, "problem solved, sleep well and thank me."
So on the one hand the guy sounds very believable. But on the other if you listen to what he's saying you hear the hissing of a sinister snake.
1
Everything he said was really about himself. I was waiting for the reporters to throw it back at him. They had so many openings but did nothing.
2
Criminal is a strong term that shouldn't be used at the moment.
However, Comey, McCabe and Strzok certainly come out of this looking worse than they did before.
This will make it harder to prove that Trump fired Comey over Russia when the criticism of his behavior is sho harsh here.
(Not saying that wasn't the reason - will just make it near impossible to prove that was his only motivation)
2
"A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on."
This quote, attributed to many, has been around for a couple centuries, and is even more correct today. Trump has mastered the art of lying first and loudly, and ignoring truth. It is unfortunate that so many citizens in our country are just so gullible that he gets away with it.
2
Let’s stop focusing on the inappropriate use of email and instead prosecute serious crimes against the United States of America and her citizens: money laundering, tax evasion, fraud, conspiring to avoid federal campaign election laws, misuse of foundation contributions, acceptance of foreign emoluments, bribery, and treason.
Giuliani was happy to arrest and jail any minority person for carrying a joint while a federal prosecutor or mayor, yet has the audacity to claim Exectutive privilege for the gravest crimes when it comes to Trump.
No wonder they do not claim innocence, but rather a kingly position above prosecution or consequences.
How they sleep at night is beyond comprehension.
12
Of course, President Trump sees redemption in this new report. He continues to blat "No collusion!" as if the five hundred page document addressed the Russian election issues in any way. It does not. The report does reveal that five of our F.B.I agents were against Trump's election, and that their personal telephone and email records prove it. Since more than half the electorate voted against the man, that should not be a huge surprise. The report also proves that James Comey mishandled a very delicate political matter by withholding information about Hillary Clinton's email server investigation until just days before the 2016 vote, thereby throwing the election to Trump. I can't understand why Trump would be bothered by Comey's actions.
1
Calling Comey's behavior criminal--that is defamation per se, isn't it? Or does that not apply because Comey is a public figure?
3
If, in fact, Trump can read, and he can stretch his attention span to longer than 5 minutes, he clearly did not use those skills to look at the report. It is more clear every day that Trump has not read the Constitution, but uses a "Cliff Notes" type of version written by Stephen Miller or Steve Bannon. Too many in the Trump administration selectively read their sources to find snippets that justify their actions. e.g. Jeff Sessions and the biblical rational for taking immigrant children from their parents. Or, Pruitt's understanding of any climate change research. Or, Trumps'.... need I say more?
2
". . . I did nothing wrong, there was no collusion, there was no obstruction,” Mr. Trump said on Friday. “The I.G. report yesterday went a long way to show that. And I think that the Mueller investigation has been totally discredited.”
Trump fired Comey not because of the investigation into Clinton's use of private server for her emails, nor for the last minute revelation that the FBI was still investigating her. Indeed, Trump was gleeful about both investigations, until there was nothing criminal found. And he still called for Clinton to be "locked up".
Trump said he fired Comey because of the Russia investigation. It's also apparent he fired Comey because Comey wouldn't give him loyalty, and that he continued the investigation into Flynn. It is also apparent that he is worried about the turns the Mueller investigation is taking, by his attempt to link Mueller and Comey and therefore discredit the investigation.
Comey has been found "insubordinate" for taking on the responsibilities of his superior, who, if you read and believe Comey's account in his book, he believed didn't want to be involved. He also flaunted FBI protocol by his statement that while Clinton did nothing wrong, she was careless, as well as his statement before the election. He hasn't been found to lie, to conduct improper investigations, or to be partisan. But that won't matter to a lot of Trump supporters who continue to believe that Trump is the object of a witch hunt.
1
Well, it actually looks like Comey, through ineptitude, a lapse in judgement, and over thinking the situation, helped Trump win, not Hillary. She lost. Never recovered from the late inning announcement of 'new email investigation'.
5
Does the report mention anywhere the ongoing pressure from the dishonorable Republican committees (it seems the honorable Republicans are either muted or a thing of the past) to further discredit Hillary Clinton via the email investigation?
Their meddling should not have been a factor forcing Comey to make public statements, but it was. Had she won, the Republicans would have continued to attack her legitimacy. What a contrast to their quiet discretion or loud protests concerning the profoundly dangerous influence of the Russians.
Have they no shame?
As to Trump. he will create a fantasy out of a sidebar and his people will believe him. Will Fox ever be held accountable for its great diservice in supporting Trump's fantasies and paranoia?
2
So when Trump was impatiently Tweeting about the release of the IG report, in retrospect, he was planning on ignoring the findings anyway! So what was the rush?
The only thing is this rant is his saying "what the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey had done “was a terrible thing to the people.”" But, I'm sure he didn't mean it about Comey announcing the FBI was re-opening the Clinton email investigation, just before election day. Even though, that's what makes his statement accurate.
3
If things are not yet clear to you, let's break it down:
Bone-spur is saying that if he can distract you by saying that Comey is/was a scoundrel, you might just forget that Bone-spur admitted to obstruction of justice to Lester Holt on international television.
That is seriously the defense he thinks will work for him. That is his angle. This is the angle of the stables genius.
18
I don't get it. Twitter and Facebook "take seriously their responsibility" for not allowing their "platforms" for spreading propaganda and lies but do not revoke Trump's accounts.
9
I really think that the media needs to stop sending out news alerts whenever Donald tweets a lie / inflammatory statement because it only gives him the attention he craves. He acts un-presidential to shock to stay relevant. If we stop letting him take up all of the air in the room, the inflammatory tweets may stop.
4
Is it though? I mean outside of having a best selling book, it isn't like he has ever had a hard time finding work.
1
But, as Mr. Trump told Lester Holt, the reason he fired Comey was for nothing in this report, but because of the Russia investigation. Nothing better than a man's own words as grounds for indictment.
10
It would be interesting if an outside investigator parsed the emails/texts of other FBI agents to see if there was an anti-Clinton bias.
1
Give Trump a day to read the news and he creates the Trump interpretation which coincidentally comes entirely without facts. Life must be mundane for Trump without the lying and position changes on a daily basis. It sure will be a relief to rid our selves of this kakistocracy that he put in place instead of responsible government.
3
In Trump's view, anyone he doesn't like (which is any critic) should be 'locked up'.
Given that ... what should we do with Trump?
3
The Justice Department inspector general wrote, "no evidence in emails, text messages, instant messages, or documents that suggested an improper purpose."
Luckily we have sharp-thinking legal minds like Mr Trump's to let us know that all that frilly baroque legalese really just means, "...the Mueller investigation has been totally discredited."
Mr Trump, the time for dissembling, distracting, and changing the subject is growing very short. At long last, the opening rounds of your bout with Mr Mueller will begin any day now. The image that comes to mind is the Terminator vs. Foghorn Leghorn.
19
Why is Trump complaining about Comey? By violating FBI regulations and talking about the Clinton e-mail investigation, he handed the Presidency to Trump.
Trump's real problem is the DOJ's Mueller investigation. He wants to discredit them so much that their findings won't be believed.
In this effort, he has Fox News and Sarah Huckabee Sanders reporting the exact opposite of the IG's report's findings.
It's 568 pages long--I wonder who, in the worlds of fake news and authentic, fact-based journalism, has read the report. It's very detailed and neutral.
But regarding Trump and allies, I have never heard so much furious mendacity spewed by them on any day before this one.
The White House's (and media allies) takedown of the IG report is so aggressive, and incorrect in reporting the facts, that it seems the Administration fears something....
10
The key info in this report is that Comey's actions benefited Trump not Clinton as if that wasn't obvious.
8
Another day, another recounting of another list of lies by the president. Clearly he does this in part to get the coverage, & to enrage people like me. He knows his base will believe whatever the propaganda industry tells them. He knows the GOP leadership will join his fake outrage. He knows the shouting will be maintained at a fever pitch, & the show will go on.
How do we act responsibly when doing what comes naturally--condemning lies, expressing outrage--is impotent? The Democrats are told, and it may be true, that being honest about Trump, calling him the con-artist that he obviously is, will only alienate swing voters. And most Democrats are scared of upsetting the political status quo, which works for them. The "MSM" seems schizophrenic, sometimes reporting honestly on the president's (but not other Republicans') lies, sometimes struggling to maintain "false balance." At some point either journalists, or the Democrats, or a 3rd party, will have to start saying what everyone has found it easier to deny for the last 20 years: the GOP has gradually become a criminal operation, orchestrating propaganda, bribery, & self-interested policy to take over democracy for personal gain. Yes, there are many honest people caught up in the scheme, but their goal is theft, their tactics dishonest, their ideology a smokescreen, and they won't change unless we change how we respond.
11
You would think that since Trump is a year older that he might have gained some wisdom....like seeking first to understand, then to be understood.
But while we may have lost Ringling Bros.circus, but we have not lost the carnival's barker.
3
But, it wasn't criminal, Mr. Trump. You, Pres. Trump prove a liar, again and again. This should have been made abundantly clear in this article.
2
NO! It's a total disaster for this corrupt administration scheme of lies, falsehoods and hypocrisy. There NEVER was an FBI (read Comey) campaign to favor Hillary Clinton, as the clueless and his gang of sycophants and assorted psychos have contended. But, it is clear that the alternative bubble reality and la-la-land is far more attractive to those of lesser mental station. God save this country...or Mueller will.
2
Once again, this incompetent narcissist occupying the Oval Office appeals to his uneducated base with made-up, exaggerated lies. He has no comprehension of, or belief in, truth or law, and he never will. His conduct benefits no one outside his crime family and embarrasses the US to the world community. Every word of his oath of office is further violated every day.
3
Birds gotta swim, fish gotta fly;
Trump's gotta sit and lie, lie, lie.
5
If James Comey wasn't so arrogant, he would apologize to the American people for his contribution to electing the pestilence: Donald Trump. But the irony of ironies, Trump turned on Comey in his usual vile, mendacious laden fashion.
1
Comey is nearly as narcissistic as trump. Maybe they could share accommodations in one of Jeff Sessions For-Profit-Prisons?
How is Mueller's investigation discredited by the words and actions of people that predate his appointment as special prosecutor of the Russia investigation? And at this point, with multiple indictments and several guilty pleas on the table, the DOJ and Congress need to man up and push back against Trump. What happened to checks and balances? Is that even a thing anymore.
3
This headline is doing Trump's marketing work for him. Please take your responsibility to find and report the truth more seriously, our freedoms are in peril. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/13/how-to-report-trum...
Trump and the cowardly complicit Republicans are a complete disaster for this country.
8
That doesn't even make any sense Mr. President. Lies and more lies. I want to respect American citizens but if you support this buffoon and his sycophants I just can no longer respect you. I dont care if you are getting some things you really want. It is absolutely clear in so many ways that this person is not fit to be a president regardless of whether or not you like his style. Wake up people! Please gather more information from places other than Alex Jones, Facebook feeds and Fox news! Doesn't it just seem a little too convenient to think that the entire world is a deep state conspiracy except the one that Alex Jones and FOX news presents? Sean Hannity? Really? Do you really believe this stuff? It doesn't even take one minute of thinking and research to debunk all of this stuff. Absolutely insane.
10
I totally agree with you.
This Trump stolen presidency becomes more frustrating and tragic with each passing day. Everyone understands the IG report, it seems, except Trump and his minions, said minions probably understand but, hey, when you're working for a raging, malignant narcissist you become cowardly and cowed and never state the truth for fear of what, you'll be fired? The only good thing about having taken a job in this White House is that you be fired, then you will have some semblance of a reputation when you leave. The man is insane. Everyone should stop with the cover already. He's insane and he's not very bright. The only people following him are the sad people whose lives are lived in fear of losing their white man power and need someone to blame. He says what they believe, lie that it always is, and they cheer and genuflect. This is a cult. People rescuing their children from cults in the past have had to do decompression brainwashing to get rid of the destructive brainwashing of the cult. On this large scale that's probably unrealistic so we need to save the country and ourselves by outvoting them. Out-thinking them has never been a problem, except they only believe what they think they need to believe.
8
I hear the word “cult” get used more and more. A cult member refuses to believe anyone but his cult leader.
Seems to me that's the perfect description of a hard-core Trump supporter. I'm seeing it more as well, "Cult of personality", "Trump cult". And you cannot convince them armed with facts because they are members of a group who feel they're losing their power. The world is dynamic and always changing. They cannot accept that. Nothing lasts forever nor should it. White power was cruel. It's someone else's turn now, a blended world where we're all in it together. The Trumpians are resisting that. Who knows whether they even believe what he says or not.
Enormous difference between these men, one was insubordinate in doing what he thought was the best thing and the other may well be proven the highest ranked traitor in history.
7
Why do you work so hard to confirm your stories, analyze their implications and report truthfully and then blow it all by printing Trump's reaction or explosions--whatever you want to call them--when you and every other responsible citizen knows he is lying?
1
dt lies. Plain and simple. He lies constantly and about everything.
For the 85% of republicans and greater % of Christians who support him, where has your integrity gone?
10
How about a headline "Americans Call Trump's Inability to Understand Written Material a Total Disaster" or "Americans Consider Trump's Lies Disgraceful and Criminal"?
10
One page, let alone five-hundred pages is too much for Trump supporters to read.
3
Another shameless lie, resulting from the guilty complexity. He wanted to assure himself rather than to convince even those who born yesterday.
1
“Certainly he, they just seem like criminal acts to me. What he did was criminal. What he did was so bad in terms of our Constitution, in terms of the well-being of our country. What he did was horrible.”
What a premonition: This is what historians will be saying about Donald Trump.
3
The intent is to distract from Manafort being jailed today! he's so predictable at this point!
2
Where are the Democrats to counter the lies trump is spewing like this latest report? 'We' all lose when 'we' allow this pathological liar uses short phrases that the 'right' can easily swallow. Hillary seems to have been the recipient of fowl treatment from what I see in the report. 'Were' losing the truth and trump is slowly turning the US into an authoritarian country.
Deems, please speak out and vote in the fall!
1
If you click over to FoxNews and go to the comment section you will see that they believe Trump. How can we get everyone to a place called "Reality"?
2
I just can't understand the report. 499 pages of FBI and DOJ out to get Trump. Then in one sentence...there was no bias. Seriously?
Oh, I know you don't understand it
You didn’t read a single page, did you?
Perhaps if you read the report you could then "seriously" understand it and understand that your "out to get Trump" is utter nonsense.
Why are you giving Trump press about this? It’s a given that Trump would say these things. By repeating them, you bolster his utterances. Your Artie should just keep emphasizing what the Justice Department says about there not being political bias. Mr. Comey has been fired. Trump beats a dead horse, and you enable this despotic behavior.
2
Since Comey's handling of the last minute reopening of the emails hurt Hilary how is that criminal? I think Trump has been chasing his tail for so long even HE doesn't really know what he is saying................
2
The report is hundreds of pages long. Trump is never going to actually read it.
1
The Tunes issues stories with comments and others without. I don't know what the policy is. But anybody familiar with the scope of this report understands that the President's baseless views are not worthy of a series of reader comments. And yes, I am aware of the irony of my position so. ..just sayin.
1
With the mounting incriminating evidence and massive legal troubles facing Trump, it is very difficult to believe a mere 27-30% of the voters have this GOP Congress shaking in their boots and so terrified they cannot challenge a thing this President says or does.
How can these cowards sleep at night (or face their children)?
8
A rational, self confident president, would have addressed the nation on television, admitting mistakes had been made, offered solutions...Ah, nevermind.
2
The report details how Comey's actions helped Trump win the presidency, yet all of your headlines support the narrative that he helped Clinton. This is the problem many people have with your coverage.
2
On june, 5 Trump tweeted: "What is taking so long with the Inspector General’s Report on Crooked Hillary and Slippery James Comey. Numerous delays. Hope Report is not being changed and made weaker! There are so many horrible things to tell, the public has the right to know. Transparency!"
It probably does not take long before Trump starts to realize that the IG report is not favorable for him. Then he will repeat his above suggestion that the report is changed to hide the truth…
2
“Doesn’t get any lower than that!” - words to remember, from the bottom of the cesspool.
17
Don't worry -- he likes a challenge. He'll re-establish his record.
Yeah, Trump is "lower than that" every desperate minute of his despicable life. Won't someone rid us of this monumental stain upon our nation?
Reading is fundamental Herr Trump! Read before you say something. You won the job, Dude!
Is this nightmare never going to end with this guy who praises dictators!
5
No, bird of a feather...and all that.
Am I alone in finding myself exhausted by the behavior of the president? I hope that enough intelligent voters get to the polls in November and send a strong message to our elected officials. Trump can lie 24/7 but he can’t reverse our decisions. We decide who speaks for us in government and we must make our voices heard.
16
It certainly seems as if he's not really on top of what these investigations are. This is just a little sarcastic: he seems to think this is the Mueller report!
8
This shows how narrow minded Trump is. Every citizen has their opinion on political matters. Most people will discuss opponents in races. Not everyone working for the federal government voted for HIM. When the message "we'll stop him" was sent. WE could have been the American public.
2
There's only one problem with Trump's statement today:
After Comey released the information about Hillary 2 weeks before the election, Trump praised him for it. Remember he said "It takes a brave man to do what he did". And he kept him in office after the election rather than nominate his own guy because of this.
Trump only turned sour on Comey after he was in office a few weeks when Comey told him about the Russia investigation, he asked for Comey's loyalty, and Trump discovered that he couldn't get either to go the way he wanted.
Remember the day after he fired Comey, Russian oligarchs were invited INTO the Oval Office and Trump told them "the Russia thing is gone".
8
THIS is the story based on the "news" about Mr. Trump's remarks today.
1
Characterizing Comey’s conduct as criminal is defamatory.
Comey is a public figure and can sue if the words uttered are malicious and the speaker utterly disregarded the truth or falsity of what he said.
It’s unlikely Comey would institute an action. Many of us tire of hearing the hollow cliche that no one is above the law.
Trump may in fact be treated as if he is above the law. Hopefully,
that chestnut will someday be proven correct. Thus far many of us wonder. Comey, unlike Trump, has devoted his life to public service. If there’s criminal, it ain’t him!
3
Comey, as a book author, has gone beyond public figure but thrust himself into the debate.
It is not a lie to say:
Comey is (morally implied) a criminal.
That’s law, criminal as an adjective can imply is morally, should be considered, in my mind is ....
The only contradiction, of course, is saying Trump totally lacks morality or ethics - a statement protected by the same law.
When did bald-faced lying become an acceptable part of presidential behavior? That's not to say that others who have held the office haven't stretched the truth or outright lied from time to time, but never in the history of the country has anyone incorporated the use of lies as a driving force behind his presidency.
An even more important question is why so many of us seem more than willing buy into such aberrant behavior? Is it the dumbing down of America? Have we simply been polarized by politics to the point that we no longer care? Or, is there something more insidious at work here? All I know for sure is that we'd better figure this out and quickly, or we're in for a bumpy ride.
2
Well, this one time Trump is at least partially correct: This report does show once again that Mr. Comey was not the Mr. Clean that he likes to be seen as. Except, of course, Comey's violations of department policies and guidelines hurt Hillary Clinton's chances in the election, and really helped Trump's. Comey gave himself the right to talk repeatedly and at length about Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, and not say a single word about the FBI's investigation of possible Russian connections with the Trump campaign during that entire time. Why? He was clearly playing politics, and then got played!
I have seen and continue to see Comey's firing by Trump, the very person whom he helped become President, as a befitting comeuppance.
1
The real story here is that he obviously didn't read it and he commented on it anyway. There has never been a President that has shirked their responsibility to be informed and knowledgeable as this one.
The press has failed us.
9
The lying just goes on and on and on from Trump with the help of Fox and other media. As a country, the US has very few defenses against a president with a captive media when that president looks at an official report and distorts the conclusions without objections from his party membership.
What Trump is doing with the IG report on how the FBI handled the Clinton email investigation goes way beyond "spin" or even cherry-picking only those conclusions which make Trump look better. Trump is creating a totally different reality for his voters. The Republican party, its media and groups such as the NRA and Evangelicals are buying into Trump's new reality and spreading it to all the followers.
When a president and his political party operate from such a different version of reality than the words of a report allow, what are the defenses against their lies and misrepresentations? How many times will the voters hear from Trump "there was no obstruction" and "I did nothing wrong" and " the Mueller investigation has been totally discredited." before these simple lies sound more honest than the complex truths complete with paragraphs of supporting facts?
The IG's report is just a sample of what we all are in for when a Mueller report directly affects Trump. Just how far will the Republican party go to defend a president proven by his conduct unfit to serve?
9
Why is this exchange on "Fox and Friends," which clearly amounts to little more than a deliberate promotional exercise on behalf of the president (and, with questions like whether Mr. Comey should be "locked up," certainly NOT journalism), the basis for its own new story, on page one and above the fold? It's a question that would apply to many of his tweets as well. In this case, "Fox and Friends" seems to be essentially an alternate version of Mr. Trump's smartphone keyboard and thumbs.
I’d be interested in learning the reasoning behind this aspect of the Times’ editorial SOP. It goes without saying that, in this age of digital media, adding the remarks to the overall developing story about the report itself would be a simple matter. Here, in contrast, the report is presented as the background for the "news" about these remarks.
Here's why I'm asking: At the suggestion of some thoughtful people, I'm trying very hard to maintain a rational perspective about current goings-on. But it’s very hard when, every time Mr. Trump chooses to act so as to push (my) emotional buttons, the newspaper amplifies his tactic.
2
Trump has trained America to look for the lateral stories in the news.Thanks, Donald for the Gaslighting 101 skills.
Let's see. Today's story is about Trump's "foundation" not having a board meeting in 19 years and paying 10K for a Donald portrait and being a money funnel. We all remember Trump's whining about the Clinton Foundation, which actually DID stuff. So, yeah, "a disaster". The New York AG is on it.
22
In Trump's March 2017 Oval Office meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, in which he told them that he had fired FBI Director James Comey and that “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”
We understand who committed the real crime against the Constitution, Donald.
Treason is actually a terrible thing.
Certainly you seem like a criminal Presidential actor. What you did was criminal. What you did was so bad in terms of our Constitution, in terms of the well-being of our country. What you did was horrible.
Thanks for the projection, though, Donald....we know you can't help yourself....but perhaps Robert Mueller can and the rule of American law can.
55
The irony of Trump calling Comey's actions criminal while pillaging his own charity like it was his personal piggy bank.
10
The only criminal I see is the resident in the Oval Office.
9
The total disaster in this country is our dictator in chief, Donald Trump and his Republican cohorts in Congress.
16
Someone buy this man a mirror so he can see the real criminal in America today.
17
Unless it cracks.
Trump is a criminal so he is projecting.
15
Trump is the total disaster, since november 2016. Now journalists will have to start slowing down on reporting each and every tweet coming out from Trump, wich is mostly fake news and lies. Medias have to stop amplifying Trump's propaganda.
After stating to FOX that he wants the American people give him a terrorized cult like North Koreans to Kim, Trump clearly stated he wants to be a dictator. Its cristal clear. You guys have to adjust accordingly.
Because congress republicans are likely to stay frozen and adore him in fear after he defeated main stream republican candidate with a single tweet. It will be open season for Trump's white supremacists.
Honestly, I never tought it would go so deep... You guys are in VERY serious problems.
9
Trump's perversion of the Justice Department Report leaves one in jaw dropping awe. I have utter disbelief that the POTUS can successfully get away with utter misquoting of the content and conclusions of that report.
But what is more disgusting is that the functionally illiterate electorate will vacuum up Trump's lies and wring their hands about how badly Trump was treated in the lead up to the election. Trump's words are like the words of a Prophet; paragraphs to be added to the Holy Book of Trump. (Functional illiteracy: it makes no difference if people can't read or simply never read; the result is the same.)
7
“If you read the I.G. report, I’ve been totally exonerated,”
The I.G. report did not deal with Donald Trump.
7
Donald is projecting again.
4
Come on NYT: A red "Breaking News" headline saying Donald Trump called someone a "CRIMINAL"? Everyday Twitter-talk by this president isn't breaking news; it isn't news (at all). Where is the news about Texan Crystal Mason sentenced to five years in prison for voting while Iowan Terri Lynn Rote gets probation and a fine for voting two times for Donald Trump? That's breaking news you missed.
2
The total disaster sits in the Oval Office.
7
What happened to SPYGate? Guess that's another defunct conspiracy theory.
4
I wish one of the reporters asked Donald Trump, if he could show us again, how he saluted that North Korean General.
5
Did he even read the report?
4
Apparently, there were too many words with more than one syllable so, no, he didn't read it.
Trump administration policy: Whatever comes out as the truth, say that the opposite is the truth.
Justice Dept.: No criminal wrongdoing.
Trump: Comey is a criminal.
Trump policy results in children being put into detention camps.
Trump: it's the democrats fault.
Trump's lawyer: Trump dictated the false statements delivered by his son.
Trump: I know nothing.
This goes on, and on, and on, and on. And there is not a single Republican "leader" who values the Republic enough to say "the emperor has no clothes." Not one who will stand up and defend children from guns, children from ICE, sick people from anti-health policies, the environment from its plunderers. The Republicans are a disgrace.
16
Our embarrassment of a president has been spending too much time with dictators, taking pointers from the 'autocrats handbook.' He clearly has no need for the rule of law or a clue about the Constitution (despite his sworn oath to uphold it). A lifetime of malfeasance may soon catch up to him and his family — let there be some type of reckoning for this odious bunch of morally bankrupt grifters and their enablers.
9
2.5 more years if Mueller doesn't give us somethingnwith which to impeach him. he might be collecting evidence right now, just hoping that we can put Congress back in order with reasonable people. I'm not even picking sides outside of choosing sane versus insane people. Don't care if your liberal or conservative, as long as your candidate is a reasonable person, whose sex/drug scandals don't involve sexual harassment, assault, or rape, and who can manage to hold a conversation without sounding like a child. The main reason being that even reasonable conservatives are likely to dislike Trump. You need people that when shown the evidence of how often Trump has lied, and used his position to bully and try to make money, before we touch on his sex scandals or imcompentancy, won't just stay with Trump from some misguided loyalty, but will impeach him in an effort to dig the Republican party out of the sinkhole Trump has put it in. Any vestiges of moral high ground the right had from their faith in god is decimated. Not that it was really ever all that high.
1
Trump always exhibits pathological projection; the NYAG’s report brands Trump a criminal by detailing specific misdeeds of his “so-called” foundation. His knee-jerk response is to project his own criminality onto another- James Comey. I bet Trump did the same thing as a child- always blaming someone else for his own bad behavior.
1
I would say that the president’s actions are criminal, and we should lock him up.
3
The Snowflake King is melting. Meelllllltttttiiiiinnnng.
Someone break it to Donald that criminal is defrauding your customers at your fake university and being ordered by a judge to pay out 29 million to the people you cheated is in the "criminal" category. "It was a terrible thing to the people" as Trump says.
People gossiping during a campaign about how bad a president he would be is not criminal. Unprofessional, yes, and that is something Trump knows ALL about. FYI Donald: the MAJORITY of America also said "Trump's not ever going to become president. Right?" So sue us.
"Should he/she/it/they be locked up?" In the end it will be easier to put Donald in the can than imprison the entire country.
1
NYT: be strong in continuing to call out this mendacious fool out for every lie and attack on our justice department.
What Trump is doing is the stuff of dictatore-- and unless he's checked now, he will indeed give himself dictatorial powers to jail anyone he pleases.
Congress is failing. Our Fourth Estate is becoming more important than ever before.
5
I appreciate that the NYT is trying to ride a fine line in this environment and not appear overly critical of Mr. Trump.
But by just repeating what Trump has said, you are publishing his lies. The report showed that THAT TRUMP IS LYING. There is no evidence that political bias affected the investigation.
What Trump is spouting out in your article is more lies. We have an unhinged President who lies all day long but he is smart to throw out uncertainty towards the very insitutions that are there to protect democracy. People reading your headline and this article will take away, maybe Trump is right, maybe there is something wrong. There comes a point where you have to be super direct about his lying otherwise you are just enabling it.
4
Trump himself writes that Agent Strozek "texted his lover" that he was going to stop Trump. Was this an official FBI communique? And these two persons out of an agency of over 35,000 must exert extraordinary sway if Trump regards this as a serious threat to bring him down.
2
"in terms of our Constitution"? Does this guy even know the first sentence of the Constitution?
4
Any chance Trump actually read a single word of this report?
7
Trump is a walking fake news outlet. Everything he yammers on about muddies already clouded waters. So destructive, unhelpful.
Used to think his Twitter account was a necessary hot-air release valve, more dangerous without it. Not sure anymore. Without it he’d have to speak, face questions- might be better.
If I ran Twitter I’d take down the entire platform, for everyone, until Trump was out.
Fox News is a state-sponsored media outlet. Without the Tweets to buttress it, it would die on the vine.
3
“If you read the I.G. report, I’ve been totally exonerated,” Mr. Trump said.
Sure, Mr. President! And if you read the Bible, you’ve been totally exonerated. If you read the constitution, you’ve been totally exonerated. If you read the UN Charter, you’ve been totally exonerated. In fact, if you read the Iran Deal, you’ve been totally exonerated. If you read anything that isn’t about you, you’re in the clear. I wouldn’t be so quick to send FBI agents to jail for thoughtless text messages, though, because your “time in the barrel” certainly seems to be coming.
23
Well I'm satisfied. The emperor has spoken.
4
Everything TRUMP doesn't like is a total disaster or fake news.
None of us non-base people are mystified like his base OR similarly unable to use brain power to understand the ACTUAL reality VS the ALTERNATIVE reality TRUMP prefers.
3
Thank you once again, NYT, for writing a piece that merely parrots what trump blabbers. Maybe reminding readers that he applauded Comey’s announcement to re-open the Clinton investigation right before the election or that his “I would never get involved with that” comments on possible prosecution is a direct contradiction to his tweets. Stop making what he says the primary point and focus on his words being a constant contradiction (lies) to the truth.
16
It is infuriating to see such baseless tripe being repeated with no substantive rebuttal. That's not reporting. What's the point of the New York Times if all it will print is the president's incorrect tweets? The public can simply use Twitter if that's all that's going to be presented here.
The President lies. We know why he fired Comey. He admitted it on national television. Why is the New York Times skirting this hypocrisy? Address the issues!
1
N.Y. real estate tycoon:
" Conflation, conflation, conflation."
3
Aren't there any laws on the books to punish defamation? In most civilized countries (as in most of western Europe), it is impossible to call somebody a "criminal" and not pay a heavy either in cash or jail time. There must be some laws in the US which punish such heinous talk as comes out of the President's tweets or his extremely foul mouth.
10
When President Trump calls someone out, he usually does it to deflect from his own short comings. As far as we know neither Clinton nor Comey have ever broken the law nor have they been convicted.
President Trump however had run-ins with the law multiple times. Not too long ago he was ordered to pay 24 million Dollars to people he defrauded by making false promises about a worthless degree of Trump university.
Yesterday he was accused by the New York attorney general of having broken laws that govern charities and campaign finance laws.
The president is a huckster, swindler and con man. In the past he ripped off clients and small businesses that usually noticed it when it was too late. The same is happening to his voters and all US citizens.
8
The list of his abuses grows, amazingly, every single day. If Democrats take Congress he will be checked, if they don't we will have a very bad situation.
3
I guess that Trump thinks that the 65,840,000 votes for Hillary in 2017 were also "criminal". Last I heard, every US citizen not only has the Constitutional right to vote for whomever they wish, but also the right to express their thoughts through the First Amendment. I will allow that the two FBI members who used their government electronics to discuss their personal thoughts should receive admonishment, which they did. One left their job and the other was reassigned to a non-decision-making position. Neither, however, faces criminal condemnation. Trump declares anything and anyone who does not proclaim everything he says as admirable and doesn't vilify everyone who doesn't declare blind loyalty as criminal. Sounds a lot like Kim and Xi. He also doesn't understand that everything isn't about him. As to his innocence in the 2016 debacle, that remains to be seen. I, among others, are very anxious for the final results of the Mueller investigation...but I also understand that under every rock that the probe turns over, there seems to be another swamp creatures, and for every bit of muck that is removed there seems to be another layer. I am willing to wait until the entire swamp is cleaned up.
2
The violent spins of the spin cycle are in full throttle today.
I guess Trump is in denial about the part of the report that said there was no political bias in the oversight of the investigation.
Trump- "Comey will go down as the worst leader in the history of the FBI."
Well, at the one-year mark of his presidency historians rated Trump as one of the worst presidents in US history. (NYT- HOW DOES TRUMP STACK UP AGAINST THE BEST- AND WORST- PRESIDENTS.)
Nothing has changed at the 500-day mark.
2
I wish one of the reporters asked Trump to show us all again, how he saluted that North Korean General.
Why does he fall in love with Butcher Dictators, but seems to have a problem with Democratic Leaders of free counties?
3
Pot, meet kettle.
4
Will you guys and ladies stop chasing your tails??
You are doing EXACTLY what the emperor wants...reporting gossip as hard news.
Stop it!!!!
FOCUS on the REAL stuff that will affect ALL of us.
19
Why lead in your headline with Trump's lie? Why not lead in the headline with the truth?????
50
WWJD?
Remove this tumor from His movement. But His movement is feeding this cancer that's sooner or later going to kill the movement.
Who is the movement? His voters + congress who enable this ultimate mountebank; Fox + Friends (of the Devil).
Strange bedfellows indeed!
7
Two things jump out at you if you read each article and essay about this report and then you read this story. 1) We have arrived at a point where truth simply has no value any longer. The lies made by Trump aren't well crafted or clever, they can be easily checked. But his Trump Party ( there really is no GOP any longer) has no desire to check his statements. Much like Lenin, Trump sets out the taking points and that becomes the truth. 2) We are on the verge of beginning political imprisonment. From what Trump says Hillary and Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, James Comey and no a low level FBI investigator are all criminals. We must now prepare ourselves for what we are going to do when Trump orders Sessions to arrest each and Sessions follows these orders. Trump supporters often say "look at what he does not what he says" , well we need to ask what we will do when he begins political imprisonment. We know that the Trump Party, including those who say they oppose Trump , will do nothing. It will then be up to the majority whether we choose to save our democracy or allow it to slip into darkness.
11
“If you read the I.G. report, I’ve been totally exonerated,” Mr. Trump said,
Right. None of it ever happened. No 20 indictments, no Russian Internet Agency with e-mailed instructions to help Trump, no meetings in Trump Tower, no false explanations dictated by the President himself, no Manafort, Cohen, Gates, Papadopoulous, no NRA involvement, no Flynn texting Russian sanctions are toast from the Inauguration podium, no unanimous vote in Congress to block Trump from relieving sanctions, no 17 months of trying really hard to help the Russians, no effort to reinstate Russia into the G-7, and best of all, no Special Prosecutor.
In Trump's fantasy world, carefully nurtured by his sycophantic staff and friends, he is the greatest President ever.
27
Mr Trump seems to not have a clue about certain things. For one, the FBI individuals doing the investigation happen to be sharing personal email, which SHOULD be protected speech under the Constitutional right to free speech. It does not matter that they are working for the Govt and it's Law Enforcement Arm, the individuals are people and have the right to their own opinions, as long as that does not interfere with the way they work. Strzok and Page are entitled to their opinons, being Adult Citizens.
Second; Trump's reading skills must be on the short end as the Report specifically States that Comey Broke No Laws, therefore there is NO reason for the president to be surmising that Comey should be jailed. Where Comey erred was being on the Cautious and Neutral Stance of giving information to Congress so close to the Election. It Helped Trump, so what is he complaining about?
Perhaps it is a matter of projectionism, where Trump actually is stating that he knows the crimes and treason he himself has done, and what those crimes merit, at the least. He knows he won the dirty way, he knows he is not fit for office, no matter his 'staged diplomacy of nothingburger'. From where I sit I can see a ton of crimes surrounding Trump like a cloud of dirt. Of course he is scared and trying everything to project that on someone else.
Comey at least TRIED to do the Right Thing, something I do not think our present president has ever even considered.
9
Do not let us forget his comparison to Kim this morning.
“He (Kim) is the head of a country and I mean he is the strong head," said Mr. Trump. "Don't let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same."
For full disclosure he did state it was sarcasm when later asked by a reporter on those comments. The typical “joke” tactic we are all getting so used to.
54
"It concluded that Mr. Comey was insubordinate and broke with longstanding policy in his handling of the Clinton email investigation. "
Yes, it showed that Comey's actions went against longstanding policy (holding a self-righteous press conference, announcing an investigation days before an election) and actually hurt Hillary Clinton.
Why can't the media make that clear when they write about the IG's criticism against Comey? Is it too much effort?
12
Why can’t the NYT follow this headline with “but Mr. Trump has got it exactly backwards.”?
2
In what way is Trump exonerated by the IG's report? There is no reference to Trump's possible ties to Putin and Russia. Nor does it judge either way whether Muller's indictments thus far relieves Trump and his ilk of any wrongdoing.
It's revealing that Trump cites his instinct for deciding to fire Comey. Instinct is defined, in part, by Merriam-Webster as "behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level." Who could possibly support a US president who uses his animal intuition and not deeply, thought-through rationale for his momentous conclusions?
14
The FBI findings really didn't have that much to reveal but trust Trump - like clockwork- to distract from the Trump Foundation law suit here in NYC which is far more serious with very serious ramifications - don't think for a minute Trump doesn't know that he is in extremely hot water. So any distraction will do.
His long history of fraudulent behavior (thus his unwillingness to disclose his tax returns during the 2016 election cycle) is all beginning to unravel. Buckle your seat belts - it is going to be quite a hot and steamy roller coaster ride over the summer -culminating with Special Prosecutor Mueller's findings which will probably happen in September.
21
The report shows Comey committed insubordination. In the FBI, maybe that's considered criminal behavior.
3
There is not one Republican in Congress unaware of the threat trump poses to the wellbeing of this nation. They are destroying us to line their pockets. It is that simple.
75
Once again we are dealing with Trump's self-serving hyperbole.
This report only confirms the investigation was properly conducted and concluded with Hillary Clinton, even though Comey inappropriately inserted himself into the Presidential Election in a way that appears to have hurt Hillary Clinton. Indeed, Trump lauded Comey just after the election for his behavior.
If anything the FBI should have let us know about Trump being investigated before the election about Russia to balance what Comey said about Hillary Clinton.
This report only undermines Trump's legitimacy as our President. Both he and Mike Pence should resign for the good of our country. Then we need to fortify our election process so a Trump can't happen again.
13
Dear President (sic) Trump:
You work for me and I want you to stop lying. Immediately. Thank you.
25
white is black, war is peace, love is hate.
12
I'm listening to Trump talk and brag about himself with reporters right now, can be explained no other way, as MIND NUMBINGLY DUMB!
Trump is saying how much he loves Kim Jong Un, can you imagine FDR talking about Hitler during the 1930's about Hitler in the same way.
Donald Trump has no values that I agree with, he makes me sick and want to throw up!
26
I say ask your trump loving friends how much they loveKim and his murderous regimes. In those very words. Don’t wait for an answer.
Let them stew on it. Let them choke on it.
Then ask what is their favorite Kool Aid flavor.
Walk away.
That’s all his defenders are worth.
1
Darn right it's criminal. It got Donald Trump elected!
11
"In a wide-ranging interview on Friday morning with “Fox and Friends,”"
Don't you mean "rambling whiny tirade"?
25
Disgusting. But you knew that, right?
3
"Doesn't get any lower than that" could also describe every single action by Trump including, but not limited to, praising white nationalists, mocking a disabled reporter, grabbing women by the genitals, obstructing justice via Twitter, fawning over dictators, lusting over his daughter, and so on...
13
Nope, not "criminal" per the 500-page report. Read it, Mr. President?
7
Trump can't, won't, and doesn't read.
He's a 70-sonething and NOBODY from his entire life can ever remember him reading a book. All we have is Ivana saying he would glance at a book of Hitler's speeches.
1
What reality is tbis president living in?
7
he lives in the unfortunate reality that 40% (though i hope that is inflated) of this country's voters think his lying and buffoonery are sticking it to liberals and women, people of color, and foreigners must be subjugated, punished, kept away, and the country's riches are for the very rich to exploit, and the law does not apply to anyone in his administration. i am sure i missed some points...like, he thinks his hair looks good, but that is not a reality.
1
The only thing criminal that happened in 2016 was the FBI telling he American people everything about the Clinton email investigation and nothing about the Trump TREASON investigation.
7
Trump should know criminal behavior. He has long history of breaking the law. The difference is that he thinks he and his ilk are above the law. Would some please get that guy a copy of the U.S. Constitution!
7
He and the GOP would have to know how to read it. I wouldn’t bet on it.
1
With Trump, it is all projection. He is the criminal. Strap in. He's on a lot of radars now.
9
And you, sir, are a total disaster for our country. Thanks for giving me the words.
10
Will someone-anyone-please get him to shut up. 2 year olds don’t whine this much.
Geez.
12
Can he make up his mind, or, has senility led him to forget that in the past he's claimed the opposite?
OR, is he simply playing any side of the multi-dimension Trump coin (that biggest, greatest, most-sided coin) that he sees fit to sow more question, division, confusion, exasperation, etc...........?????
4
Trump got what he wanted. Debasement of the FBI and Comey. Whoopee. Who cares? Americans have better things to do. We are all sick of e-mail this and that. All this pales compared to the corruption of the Trump admin.
1
News sources should simply stop reporting Trump's utterances. Or add a note such as "Without citing any proof ..." or "Trump lies again, says ...." We are long past the point of giving him the benefit of the doubt and he is playing the press for suckers.
85
Amen! They won't stop reporting but I agree, the news outlets should preface Trump's tweets/statements as
"rants", "ramblings" "outright lies", "unsubstantiated statements", "claims"
Best post in the NYT in months
Hey are you guys listening?
This is exactly what the press needs to do! I'm sick of every single Tweet being shoved in 'our' face and stating how strong trump is when he's lying. Thank you Peter!
1
Said the man who runs a fraudulent charity,
42
What does Mango Moussolini know about the law? Except how to evade it
18
He has totally lost his marbles!
15
Want to see a "total disaster," Mr. President? Look at your administration.
17
Trump creates shiny objects and the press reacts like Pavlov’s dog. Giving him the attention he craves. The complicity serves him well.
16
Just once I'd like to see the press preface a statement by Trump with....
"Another Trump Whopper":
1
I WON'T EVEN READ THIS ARTICLE...reporting on the presidents continuing LIES is too infuriating. i will look at puppy videos. From now on, instead of saying what his lies are, simply report, yes, the president lied again today. The outrage is starting to leak from fearful republican mouths..but not nearly enought; make no mistake, this president plans to be dictator before 2020.
13
my typos: president's, enough
1
By all means, Mr. President, don't let reality get in the way of your divisive ranting.
11
Of course he did. Everything with Trump is "a total disaster." He didn't get more ice cream than everyone else? "A total disaster!" I can't believe anyone save his delusional base cares what he thinks about anything anymore.
7
Let's all try to keep in m ind that the so-called president DOESN'T READ.
Kinda helps to explain a lot.
11
The boss of a criminal gang accusing and blaming a honorable man for a professional mistake. This is incredible.
9
“Doesn’t get any lower than that!”
Was he looking in the mirror?
As for Rudy's prediction of jail time, let's not forget Rudy's past success with predictions. After going 0-and-7 in presidential primaries, Rudy boasted that things would turn around in Florida.
3
"Total disaster". Such a poverty of speech and thought. The same tired words and phrases spouted over and over. Very weak!
7
If there's anyone in the government who's engaging in criminal behavior, it's Donald J. Trump himself. Trump and his family should be criminally prosecuted for his criminal conduct in conjunction with his misuse of his charitable foundation, including income tax violations and campaign finance violations.
#LockThemALLUp
12
All those surprised by Trump’s comments, raise your hands.
3
One has nothing to do with the other? The same crooked den of thieves were working on both.
1
Trump has poked the bear a few too many times. At some time, the FBI is going to poke back and it pokes hard and strategically. There will be no love loss.
3
Just because a President says "I am not a crook" doesn't mean he isn't one.
9
I just realized that narcissists lie so often that they can't distinguish reality from made up fantasy. Their version of events are always confabulated. The President is a highly delusional individual with alot of power. God help us all.
15
Seems to me the President needs to brush up on his reading comprehension regarding his interpretation of the IG report. But then again, he is living in his own alternative universe.
10
Called trump fox world
Where in any of the Times's coverage of the report is the fact that FBI agents hostile to Hillary Clinton were leaking information to Rudolph Giuliani? In the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election, Giuliani was bragging about the explosive information he was getting from anti-Clinton FBI personnel.
This should bracket any statement -- whether written by a Times reporter or spoken or tweeted by Trump and his cronies -- regarding FBI agents who were not going to be voting for Trump.
It should also be a question raised by Times reporters: why is the FBI IG's report silent on this issue?
4
It looked to me like something was going to leak about Clinton and Comey decided to simply jump ahead of it.
What a surprise. Trump lies about the IG report. The IG report, of course, does the exact opposite of what Trump claims: it shows no political bias in the handling of the Clinton e mail story, and in fact it is shown Comey erred in his handling and harmed Clinton, perhaps fatally to her 2016 chances. A few low level staffer texts hardly support Trump’s false deep state conspiracy allegations.
Trump’s media fluffers at Fox “News” and other GOP propaganda organs and his congressional lackeys, of course, will spread Trump’s lies. They will then repeat them and claim the lies are now facts. We live in post truth America until the Trump GOP can lose control of our government.
4
“When will people start saying, ‘thank you, Mr. President, for firing James Comey?’”
when he'll freezes over, that's when ...
No, Mr. President; the Inspector General’s report is a “total disaster” for the concept of an impartial and independent investigative agency and the American people.
As is usually the case, “it’s all about you” (thanks, Boney James). You were far from cleared of any complicity in any foreign entanglements while you were a candidate. The report was unsparing in its stern assignations of unprofessional and improper conduct by the Attorney General, Loretta Lynch; and the-then F.B.I. Director, James Comey. They were both cited for mishandling this case.
But, sir, you’re premature in thinking that this exonerates you. Please consider the unsettling effect that this will have upon our nation going forward, perhaps for generations. A true patriotic would worry about that—not just himself.
4
Naturally, Trump responds with alternative facts to a thorough report.
As for the self-centeredness, well, to Donald, the sun rises and sets in his own orange skin.
1
Trump claims there is '“criminal” behavior by the bureau’s former director."
There he goes, projecting again!
4
Mister President,
I know you read these posts. Nobody believes you here.
Your criminality in running your own Foundation is the narrative of the day.
People are not so stupid as to believe you. Certainly not people from Manhattan or New York -- where you want to be liked (but aren't). Eve Howard Stern knows how sad you are these days.
56
corrected headline: Trump Contradicts Justice Dept. Report, Calls it ‘Total Disaster’ for F.B.I.
18
By taking the podium at Fox News and spewing forth his opinions Trump keeps himself in the limelight. You can bend a piece of metal back and forth many times. When metal fatigue sets in the metal will break. Trump is bending the American people back and forth in hopes that fatigue sets in and we accept his line of reasoning. He is accustomed to getting his way. I hope He gets taken down by his vanity, that his own words send him packing.
17
We’ll see who the criminal is. Manafort will be locked up later today, this is all a sideshow before the Trumptanic hits bottom.
37
“What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.”
How many words of the Report did he actually read?
As per usual. Dan Quayle gets the last word on Donald J. Trump’s daily hallucinations.
23
Mighty loose definition of "criminal", and especially rich coming from one whose actual criminality is becoming clearer every day.
20
Funny, but when I think of a disaster all I can think about is who sitting in the oval office right now.
108
His opinion is worth zero!
How long do we have to endure this nightmare?
80
Hang in there - we still have elections!
1
MH,
His opinion is worth a lot. That's why the nightmare is still going on and on.
The report proves just the opposite but as usual with Trump up is down and black is white. Sadly his uninformed, gullible followers will believe him rather than the exhaustively investigated thorough report.
36
Perhaps Trump should learn how to read. Oops, forgot, he doesn't read; he just watches fox propaganda which tells him what he wants to hear.
The report totally vindicated the FBI but said Comey used bad judgement and helped Trump.
93
Trump continues to show that, beyond all else, he simply can not process information. Either that, or he is delusional.
What is certain, is that he continues to be a clear and growing danger to the fabric of our nation.
102
It's not the FBI that's the disaster.
29
Trump, along with his unwavering supporters in Congress and the media, traffics in propaganda.
19
He had already written the report before it was released. No surprise here.
3
Most troubling in this sad drama, is there anyone in America who has the stature to refute Trump's outright lies? Congress has abrogated its responsibilities, the Supreme Court is muzzled, and the Cabinet is composed of sycophants, while the White House staff enables and supports Trump's egomania. Our government is paralyzed by the infuriatingly constant mendacity spewed by a man plagued by an overcompensated inferiority complex and totally unqualified to be president.
48
If ever we needed MORE proof that Mr. Trump does not appear to read anything produced by his own administration...
18
So, once again the conman is lying, a routine and predictable set of tweets, trying to exonerate himself from colluding with the Russians. It would be boring if it weren't so frightening - The Big Lie, just like his Russian puppet masters have honed over the years. It's 1984 all over again. Sadly, there will be the crowd that believes what he writes, those who will not bother to actually read the report or its conclusions. Does he ever tell the truth?
14
Emperor Donald the First thinks he can condemn anyone and anything by edict.
Rather than condemning his "accused," he ends up condemning himself.
Sorry, Donnie, you do not get to make your own laws, and you do not get to be the judge and jury.
23
We sincerely hope!
trump gets much right. every text is against him, none against hilary. every person involved in the investigation of hilary and then of him, if they show bias, show it against him. The investigation of hilary handed out immunity several times. Once, to that Paul Combetta guy, after he TWICE lied about substantive things to the FBI, AND erased - knowingly and illegally - email evidence from Hilary's server. Compare that to the charges filed by Mueller against Flynn. Very lopsided. Finally, Dems say, "well Comey announced new emails on Weiner's laptop, that hurt Hilary." That was the ONE thing he did to hurt her - and he had NO choice. He had told Congress she had no more emails. Once he discovered more he sat on it, until NY based US attorney started asking what was he going to do about the emails they found! Then he HAD to announce he was looking at it - or else he would have effectively been lying to congress. There is a massive bias evident here.
1
the real question is: how did the seventh floor of the FBI, managers who are in politically sensitive jobs and careers, EVER wind up being the INVESTIGATORS on Trump and Hilary!?
The investigators are in the field offices. The managers all left being investigators, one. And, two, it is a TERRIBLE idea to bring an investigation into an office where political considerations exist.
Find out WHY they moved the investigations to the desk of politically involved FBI seventh floor. Every bad decision that follows flows from that ridiculous decision.
My guess: it was moved to headquarters/seventh floor by the Obama White House.
1
You are correct. There is massive bias against Trump. But where did this bias emanate from? Where's (or, who's) the match that lit the fire? How far back do you want to go to see how your guy lit fire after fire after fire? Birther? Trump U scam? Ripping off vendors? Marital infidelities? What are observers, including the 'media' supposed to do with this stuff? Sit on it? Say nothing about it? Find out that the man flat out lies about any manner of things and not call him out on it? I ask you, how many free passes should he get? You love him? Great. But you are no different than me in one respect: When this all comes to a head, together we will lose. Your fidelity to Donald Trump will get you absolutely nothing more than my disgust for him will get me
3
Trump has no standing to call himself a patriot when he is gleefully trying to diminish the FBI's worth.
7
It’s quite clear that 45 is projecting. Again.
12
So if a cop runs a red light en route to a bank robbery, the robber gets to go free?
10
An empty barrel makes the most noise.
Behold, America's perfect reverse barometer.
92
The empty barrel is damaging our country on an hourly basis. I'm waiting for the press to stop covering Trump. Giving Trump all the air time he wishes is feeding him.
1
Trump: "“I would never want to get involved in that,”* Mr. Trump said. “Certainly he, they just seem like criminal acts to me. What he did was criminal**.”
*No, of course not. Too busy defrauding a charitable foundation to his and his family's benefit.
**Can a President actually say that?
37
A "total disaster", not unlike the the effect of his presidency.
60
"President Trump called James Comey’s behavior 'criminal' a day after a Justice Department report that made no accusation of criminal wrongdoing."
In Trumplandia "criminal behavior" is any behavior that doesn't support and/or agree with Trump.
136
I truly think Comey should sue for defamation of character.
3
When he calls Comey criminal, I think it's because he mixed up the exonerating report by IG with the NY lawsuit that was issued against him yesterday.
1
Earlier this month, the president asked "when will the people start saying, 'thank you, Mr. President, for firing James Comey?'"
I say thank you Mr. President for firing James Comey and then admitting to Lester Holt on television that you did it because of this thing with Trump and Russia. Thank you for saying the same thing to the Russians in the Oval Office. Also, a big thank you for firing James Comey because it led to the Mueller investigation which may actually expose the truth about your campaign's very suspicious ties to Russia and how it helped get you elected.
207
Agreed, Comey did a terrible thing, he got Trump elected.
229
Mr. Strzok, replied, “No. No he won’t. We’ll stop it.” ..... Realistically this is hard to explain, no matter what you think this is so wildly inappropriate that it baffles the mind. Jim Comey usurping authority and interfering in the flow of legal events is also an inappropriate situation. This long drawn out American misery should be terminated as quickly as possible.
6
Why would you "explain" someone else statement?
The report says that they looked at his work and there was no bias. You've never talked about how your boss was wrong while doing exactly what he instructed? It is literally the same thing.
3
So, a personal text message between co-workers who didn't think an incompetent should be elected President and who had no power to direct any type of investigation of Trump or Clinton is more important to discovering whether or not the current President might be beholden to a hostile foreign nation? Gotcha.
5
About 63 million Americans had the same thought and I know I, for one, sent Emails to many with similar sentiments. Why you think expressing your views to a work colleague is wildly inappropriate is beyond me. It's called free speech.
2
If Mueller doesn’t finish and report/induct soon, it will be game over. The United States stands now on the precipice.
9
If there is someone guilty of treason and fraud it is trump.
115
The only total disaster in this country right now is Donald J. Trump.
The FBI's motto fidelity, bravery and integrity can be seen in this report.
However since Trump doesn't possess any one of those three characteristics it's easy to understand why he is so fast to condemn them.
28
James Comey disgraced himself for all time. But that’s not enough for this president. He’ll hang his hat on those three words texted by Agent Strzok but that doesn’t justify the president’s smear of America’s top law enforcement agency. Agent Strzok posted an ill-advised text and has been reassigned but this gaffe is no less egregious than the president’s birther remarks about President Obama. That was an outrage, if there ever was one.
26
A sitting president rooting for the failure of the FBI is a lot worse than two FBI agents rooting for Trump's campaign to fail.
10
@NM -- you're right, dear friend. The president would rather destroy his crack elite law enforcement bureau than encourage them to do their best. My replies to your excellent posts haven't gone in this week for some reason. Maybe the Times is reformatting something but something has changed.
The OIG report proves there was no bias against Trump, and that, in fact, Comey inappropriately discussing the in-progress investigation obviously was the reason Trump won the Electoral College.
45
President Trump will, of course, see what he chooses to see in the report--facts have never really stopped him from making outlandish assertions, so he won't be constrained by them now. That the report will serve as a pretext to dismantle the Mueller probe was widely expected even before its release.
Meanwhile, Russians continue to meddle in US elections and the President is MIA on this file.
17
If Trump gladly reported his income tax forms to us, then maybe I'd go along with his assertions of good ethics on his own part.
If Trump hadn't dodged the draft with his bone spurs bedtime story, maybe I could see his positive instincts.
If Trump wasn't selling weaponry to the Saudi's and gassing their planes up to slaughter Yemen civilians, it is possible I might be able to see a little of this his way.
But Mexico is not going to pay for it, Obamacare is here to stay and we are not filling out IRS forms on a postcard, all promises that Fearless Leader has been touting since day one, including the fabrication of Hillary's foundation practices when we find out Trump's foundation is the Trump family's favorite vehicle for laundering money.
I can't give this guy the time of day, he's incarcerating children running for their lives, come on!
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The "total disaster" that always seems to be the lowest of the low, before exceeding itself, is this man's presidency.
The report makes clear that all the agents professional conduct was unbiased.
That they found agents who expressed private political opinions, in their spare time, should surprise nobody during a hotly contested election.
The report highlights that 5 of them didn't care much for Trump's brand of reasoning (Gosh, I can't imagine why)
The report did NOT mention how many agents expressed private unfavorable opinions of Hillary Clinton.
But this is clearly because the report is more interested in protecting the president than in protecting the FBI and our ability to objectively apply the rule of law.
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So here is the rest of the Trump defense:
He fired Comey for the benefit of the American people.
It was "a great service," and had nothing to do with obstruction of justice and that Trump and Russia thing ...
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Its clear from Pres. Trump's comments on the WH lawn this morning that he didn't read the IG's report.
Its telling that he did the press gaggle at the same time as Manafort is going to court. Trump is feeling the pressure.
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It is clear that Trump did not even read a synopsis of the report. He is lying to the public about the conclusions. This is how we drift into the decline of democracy. Add the camps for children taken from their parents, and we have the beginning of fascism.
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Fake News! Not the Times reporting, but Trump's interpretation of what was plainly stated. NO EXONERATION! We'll see about collusion when the Mueller investigation is released for public perusal.
Every time I read comments like "...this is the beginning of fascism" I am stunned because we should realize the fact that we are already in the middle of it.
This is how democracies fall and dictators empower themselves. Lies, propaganda, distortions and fear, smears despite independent investigations. Again, Mr. Trump exaggerates anything that he can claim to support himself and turns upside-down whatever supports his "enemies."
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Yes, with the help of FOX News
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The worst part about it is that there are far too many people who believe the lies, propaganda, and distortions. The real question is "Why?"
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It is the height of elitism to think that those voting for Donald Trump hadn't already made up their minds prior to the July 2016 press conference by Mr. Comey. It's also totally ridiculous to think that that sector of the voting public is stupid, uneducated and had not followed all the debates. Au contraire, they had been paying extremely close attention if the pundits and the Beltway gang had cared to read something other than the main stream media. As usual, the elites seem to think that that middle America doesn't have the capacity to make an informed judgement before voting without investigating why people were so disenchanted with the Democrats' platform. Wrong!
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Feel for you!
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Except that middle America keep proving the exact opposite to all of us, day after day, when they continue to believe even the most easily refutable lies that this man spews. But go ahead and keep insisting that people take you seriously, that's working out really well.
a) Your point is well taken.
b) How is this remotely on point to the article? It is the height of apathy to continue to point to the victories of the past when there is a problem facing us in the present.
You voted for Mr. Trump on policy grounds, as you should. Now, I would ask that you voice what should be a concern on those same grounds. Your President - our President - continually contradicts his own administration, undercutting its credibility and his own, destroying its effectiveness, and instilling a sense of divisiveness even at the highest level.
That is the height of horrible public policy.
This is hilarious and dangerous.
The report explicitly states that there was no bias.
He is lying openly and daring the reporters listening to challenge him.
What was vicious about pointing out how awful he is appealing to ignorance and hatred and fear?That is the very antithesis of what our nation is meant to be. It makes the lie that all other systems especially monarchies allege is why our system cannot work, seem true. The lie is that people in general are not smart enough or sophisticated enough to govern themselves.
Every time someone backs him up or fails to challenge his lies he succeeds at making that lie seem to be true.
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@ magicisnotreal
"The report explicitly states that there was no bias."
No. The report said there was no evidence of bias.
Of course the lead FBI investigators were biased - their text messages prove it.
The report has simply not (yet) found evidence that they explicitly acted on their bias.
Masterful twisting of the actual conclusions and the entire narrative to suite his own lies and version of the truth. It is frightening the degree to which so many Americans will hear his blather and believe him over what is actually revealed in the report.
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Over and over the media gets unwittingly co-opted into repeating his tweets and echoing his lies. Many people hear only what he said repeated by the media and don't take the time to hear the analysis or perspective. Trump is a lesson for all of us in how propaganda works.
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His base won't bother read the report either.
That's why it took 24 hours to tweet. Wonder who worked on the "narrative"? Miller?
So, when someone disparages or opposes Trump, it's "criminal", but when he, and/or his minions, colludes with our sworn enemy, it's "fake news".
When will he demand being named President For Life?
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The "Trump Cult" in Congress is working on it!
Soon.
He will let us know when everyone is saying they want him to be dictator. He just wants us love him so much that, like the North Korean people, we wouldn't think of criticizing him, just sit up at attention when he speaks.
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Nothing in the IG report exonerated the president it didn't say such thing. The IG report put into print what everyone already knew, that Mr. Comey was out of line going before the public, first to say no charges would be brought but that Mrs. Clinton had mishandled classified material, and second that the investigation would be open again because of emails believed to be in Anthony Wieners lap top. It wasn't his place to do that he should have as the report says gone to his superior the AG. It is pretty clear that Mr. Comey inadvertently helped elect the president. The FBI the report states did nothing wrong, did not have a conspiracy going to elect Hillary, and did not interfere with the special counsels investigation. In fact when the special counsel found out about the texts of the two persons from the FBI he summerly fired them sending them back to the FBI to be dealt with.
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No sense of values, integrity, ethics and he can't seem to read as well! His flirtation with and aversion to truth is mind boggling as much as it is frightening. What can be believed that comes out of his mouth? He is a transparent manipulator , at least to those who see him as a threat to democracy.
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Yes. IG's report gave no hint of criminal wrongdoing. PLUS: Comey's insubordination did nothing but INCREASE the odds that Trump would be elected.
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Trump clearly believes, paraphrasing Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass, that words mean what he pays them to mean, no more and no less. What he does is good, what any opponent does is criminal, at the very least. He has no need to concern himself with "truth", only his own warped perception of the reality he wants to see. At another point, Lewis Carroll has a character say that he can believe six impossible things before breakfast. Although Carroll did not know Trump, he described him pretty well.
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