June 08, 2017 08:17 AM UTC

Comey's Devastating Testimony Discussion Thread

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE 12:45PM: Ernest Luning reports on the response from a handful of Colorado Members of Congress in a story for the publication formally known as the Colorado Statesman.

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UPDATE 11:40AM: The Denver Post declares President Donald Trump’s credibility “in tatters” after Comey’s testimony:

Even if Trump isn’t implicated in colluding with the Russians, even if none of his campaign staffers are found guilty, Comey’s sworn testimony and the known facts about his firing cripple the president’s credibility.

Comey’s testimony portrays a president who only cares about loyalty to himself, and not loyalty to all Americans. By repeatedly pressuring the then director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to swear allegiance to him, Trump betrayed America. He never reversed this error, and kept up talking about the necessity of personal loyalty with Comey all the way up unto his firing.

Trump denies everything, of course. But who can believe him? He’s proven himself wonderfully skilled at telling lies.

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UPDATE 11:00 am: The White House decides to go with an “I am not a crook” response. From The Hill:

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that President Trump is “not a liar” hours after ousted FBI Director James Comey said the president had lied about the FBI.

“I can definitively say the president is not a liar,” Sanders told reporters during an off-camera briefing at the White House. “I think it is frankly insulting that question would be asked.”…

…Comey began his highly anticipated testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee by telling the panel that the president had defamed him by saying that the FBI was in disarray under his leadership.

“The administration chose to defame me and, more importantly, the FBI by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly run,” Comey told a rapt hearing room.

“Those were lies, plain and simple,” he said.

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UPDATE 10:42 am: The Senate Intelligence Committee has wrapped up Comey’s public testimony and will immediately reconvene for a confidential hearing with the former FBI Director.

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From CNN:

In the first hour of former FBI Director James Comey testimony on Capitol Hill about the nature and details of his relationship with President Donald Trump, he’s already called the president a “liar” twice.

In his opening remarks, Comey flashed anger at Trump’s characterization of him as unpopular among the rank and file of the FBI as well as the idea that the bureau was disorganized and chaotic.

“Those were lies. Plan and simple,” Comey said flatly.

Then, when asked by Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) why he felt the need to document his meetings with Trump when he didn’t do the same with past presidents, Comey responded: “I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting.”

Stop. Go back and read those two quotes again.

What you see there is a former FBI director not once but twice calling the president a liar — and acknowledging that his concerns about Trump’s willingness to bend (or break) the truth led him to repeatedly document their interactions.

That’s stunning stuff.

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The former Director of the FBI has now repeatedly expressed concerns that Donald Trump and his administration are liars.

— David Chalian (@DavidChalian) June 8, 2017

“I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting,” says Comey, asked why he wrote memo after meeting with Trump

— Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff) June 8, 2017

“The administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI…those were lies, plain and simple.” Comey

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 8, 2017

Q: Do you have any doubt the Russian government interfered in the U.S. election?
Comey: No. https://t.co/jo781YX2WM

— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) June 8, 2017

We’re working on updates while we pick our jaws up off the floor, stand by.