13 May, 2017
On the surface, Trump's tweet appears to be a not-so-veiled threat against the former FBI director, whom the president fired this week because of Trump's opposition to Comey's investigation into the Russian Federation scandal. Opponents have claimed that Comey's shock sacking was a bid to stall an FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which is also looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump's team.
Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) emerged, they said Comey's firing wasn't discussed. "That's clearly an impermissible question".
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer released a statement saying Mr Trump had made a decision to fire Mr Comey only after Attorney-General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein had recommended that Mr Comey be dismissed for his handling of last year's probe into Mrs Hillary Clinton's e-mails.
"So, either Trump's own account of the discussion is true, in which case he's guilty of obstruction of justice", Mr Tribe said.
"I was going to fire regardless of (their) recommendation", Trump said in an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, calling Comey a "showboat" and "grandstander" who led the agency into turmoil.
Friday's daily press briefing with White House spokesman Sean Spicer provided no clarity.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Trump pressed Comey for a pledge of loyalty over dinner only a week after his inauguration, according to an account by two associates of the lawman.
"President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions", the statement read. Spicer was asked if Trump recorded the conversations and if there is recording equipment in the White House.
He later tweeted that no one should expect his White House to give completely accurate information.
In response to the media coming out and questioning the differences in the responses, President Trump threatened to take away press briefings and defended his administration.
Sources also told the website that the White House could replace administrative employees with oversight of counterintelligence operations, which could also stall the investigation.
White House officials and others insisted on anonymity in order to disclose private conversations and internal deliberations.
Trump also said that at the dinner, he and Comey discussed whether the United States top cop would continue his 10-year term. Some senior officials have discussed nominating Rep. Trey Gowdy, the South Carolina Republican who ran the House committee that investigated Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's actions in connection with the 2012 attack on a USA compound in Benghazi, Libya.
Sen. Marco Rubio asked McCabe if Comey's firing had impeded, interrupted, stopped or negatively impacted any investigation at the FBI.
"You can not stop the men and women of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from doing the right thing", he declared.
Pearson reported from NY.
