Trump warns Comey: Better hope there are no tapes of our meeting

[Julian Englis]

Source: The Hill

President Trump on Friday morning issued a cryptic threat to fired FBI Director James Comey, amid a storm of media leaks contradicting the White House.

James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! Trump tweeted.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/333081-trump-warns-comey-better-hope-there-are-no-tapes-of-our-meeting

---

WTF???!!!!

He really has lost it--if he ever had it. Is he paranoid? Is he threatening to kill Comey? He's just ranting.[link:

Link to tweet

||

[ananda]

1. Seriously?

If I were Comey, I'd say "bring it on, motherfucker!"

[Stuart G]

2. This is now the top story at CNN...

Threatening someone is not legal, particularly a potential witness. (as has been said earlier)...This one tweet shows his lack of judgement. Threatening someone in public for all to see is not wise, and it is insane. I hope that a few republican senators agree. Just a few to get the ball rolling. 4 or 5 will do.

[karynnj]

13. Not to mention - he is the PRESIDENT

Someone with no power to do anything is less dangerous than someone with power doing so - and no one has more power than the President. I seriously do not remember even in the darkest days of Nixon an overt, public threat like this.

[lunatica]

75. And his Russian friends like to poison people

[displacedtexan]

78. Russians don't poison people...with exceptions.

Sorry, I just had to set the record straight.

[lunatica]

82. Nit picker!

[Sanity Claws]

3. Everything Trump does or says seems to be full of projection

This tweet actually means that Trump is afraid of any such tapes because they would show his lying, etc.

[Scarsdale]

24. Did tRump tape

the conversation, and is implying that Comey is lying? You never can tell with Agent Orange. He WANTS to be Putin, but is not smart enough. Where is first lady/daughter Ivanka, the calming influence? Still hawking her wares overseas?

[LiberalArkie]

70. It does not matter if a tape actually was made at that time, a video can be created later

that would pass all tests.

[PatSeg]

4. My lord

You are right, he really has lost it. That is insane.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. operative word here is

'threat'

[George II]

6. I just wish Comey would "leak" all over trump, aka the master leaker John Miller (remember that?)

[Scarsdale]

25. Leak

like a Russian prostitute!!

[H2O Man]

7. Recommended.

The ghost of Richard Nixon tried to warn Trump in his dreams .......

[HopeAgain]

33. Nixon was smart enough not to let people know about the tapes himself

This tweet may someday be the basis for a subpoena!

[DeminPennswoods]

45. Thought the same thing!

There's tapes? Let's get them!

[H2O Man]

55. Right.

If Trump was implying he had taped their conversations, he made a serious mistake.

I am curious if in his paranoid state of mind, Trump thinks that Comey taped him -- which he believes would "prove" that former President Obama et al were "wiretapping" him.

[Julian Englis]

8. The entire tweet storm is bizarre. He makes no sense.

What is his mind like? It must be a scary place.

[christx30]

63. I see it as Wile E. Coyote (super genius)

mixed with a mafia-wannabe mentality. Those pictures of his family in the gold adorned room. The demands for loyalty. The intimidation here is bordering on blackmail. "Keep your mouth shut if you don't want our conversation on the front page of The NY Times."
Who will leak first? The person with less to lose.

[dalton99a]

9. Is he going to call Erik Prince or his Mafia buddies?

[forgotmylogin]

26. Is he going to obliquely suggest that Russia hacks Comey and publishes "the tape"?

[yurbud]

44. Just as Baby Bush showed lines are blurry between big business & big government...

Trump is showing the lines are pretty damn blurry between big business and big crime.

In some areas of foreign policy like Afghanistan and Columbia, all three merge pretty seamlessly.

[Stuart G]

10. This one may do it, .. It could a few republicans out of the woodwork to publicly oppose Trump.

He broke the law with this. Perhaps 2 or 3 of them in the senate will announce formal opposition to this nutcase. I hope so.

[karynnj]

11. I think the threat is that Trump may have illegally taped Comey

The threat would be either that he could prove Comey lied - if he does - or more cynically, if he speaks, Trump will have people cherry pick things from a tape that would make Comey look bad, possibly out of context.

This is so unpresidential it is head spinning. It sounds more like a tyrant.

[brush]

32. It can also be taken the other way, that trump thinks Comey may have taped it...

secretly.

We all know he's an extremely paranoid MF.

[Soxfan58]

67. If Trump had a tape,

It would be all over cable news by now.

[Botany]

12. Isn't that a violation of the law?

Either a physical threat or illegally recording somebody?

[OKNancy]

17. I think it is. Comey is a private citizen now

And even if there were tapes, I trust Comey's version of the truth so I would LOVE to hear them.

[Towlie]

14. Trump is showing us all that he can commit any crime he likes, including blackmail.

Nixon said, "If the president does it, then it's legal", and Trump seems to actually believe that.

[get the red out]

34. I remember that from Nixon!

My Dad went ape-shit over that! He couldn't believe even Nixon would say that. Trump is worse. At least Dad isn't seeing this.

[dalton99a]

46. Like he said, he could shoot somebody tomorrow without any problem

AG Sessions: "We have determined it was an accident"

[Oneironaut]

87. If we get Congress in 2018, he's toast.

Maybe sooner if Republicans had any integrity left, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[Egnever]

91. No what Trump is showing us is that he is ignorant of the law.

And that he is more than willing to keep building the case against himself. The law does not react immediately it builds a case then hammers you all at once. They are more than willing to keep adding to the case until they are ready to bring it and trump just keeps pilling up his transgressions.

I will be amazed if one of the things he is taken down for is not his use of the presidency as a piggy bank to funnel funds into his own pockets through his trips to his golf courses. And of course this ill advised tweet.

[ThoughtCriminal]

15. Psychotic Moron

This is stupid in SO many ways.

[machoneman]

16. Lost it.....totally! n/m

n/m

[safeinOhio]

18. Just because you are paranoid,

it doesn't mean people aren't out to get you.

[Turbineguy]

19. That's it. I'm convinced

"This boy's cheese done slid off his cracker!"

[TalenaGor]

30. lol!!!

[Towlie]

49. ... and it appears to be continuing in a rapidly accelerating slide.

Reference

[Nay]

79. I gotta remember this expression. So perfect!! nt

Didn't know it was from that movie.

[barbtries]

20. what?!

okay, i know it's been said before, but the president is not well. he is a very sick man. we need to get rid of him before the damage he does is irreversible.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. Paging Alexander Butterfield.

Why do I think James Comey is not the least bit scared?

Alexander Butterfield

Alexander Porter Butterfield (born April 6, 1926) is a retired U.S. military officer, public servant, and businessman. He served as the Deputy Assistant to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. He revealed the existence of White House taping system on July 13, 1973, during the Watergate scandal investigation, but had no involvement in the scandal. From 1973 to 1975, he served as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
....

Revelation of the taping system

[George II]

39. I think taping (they don't use tape anymore, though) everything that goes on in the oval office...

...has become SOP, partly because of their usefulness in the Watergate scandal.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

60. Digital. They have digital. What is digital?

It sounded bad to me. Digital. They have digital. What is digital? And it’s very complicated, you have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out. And I said–and now they want to buy more aircraft carriers. I said what system are you going to be–”Sir, we’re staying with digital.”

I said no you’re not. You going to goddamned steam, the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it’s no good.

Hat tip, Trump May Have Just Derailed A Crucial Part Of America's Future Aircraft Carrier Fleet and a thread at DU that links to that.

[Wednesdays]

53. I remember watching that moment on TV

I was just a kid, but I could sense it was a turning point in the Watergate scandal.

[spiderpig]

22. Should we start a separate thread stating our ages

and how we've never seen anything like this in our entire lives?

[Scarsdale]

28. I am

81 and have NEVER seen anything like this, not from a president. This clown needs to be in a padded room.

[get the red out]

35. You are my Mom's age

And she agrees with you!

I am 52 and I KNOW I haven't! This is more treasonous than Iran-Contra!

[George II]

40. Richard Nixon was a mere amusement compared to what we're now seeing every day.

[spiderpig]

89. I'm 66 and clearly remember the Johnson-Goldwater campaign

"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice."

Our family thought Goldwater would plunge us into nuclear war. Remember his campaign slogan "in your heart you know he's right" and the Democratic response "in your guts you know he's nuts"?

Had we but known what would be squatting in the Oval Office today. BTW, Goldwater had quite a sense of humor and was an ardent conservationist.

[Nay]

80. I'm 65 and I thought NIXON was bad. Then Reagan. Then Bushie, now this

MORON. I simply have no reference for this sort of slide into the insane asylum -- it has to be similar to the end of the Roman Empire.

[Paladin]

23. He's paranoid. He's threatening. He's guilty. Impeachment is called for. (nt)

[RKP5637]

54. And he has the nuclear codes, and that's of course damn F'en scary. n/t

[They_Live]

27. Hey trmpf

"If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about." Right?

[Snake Plissken]

29. Trump has gone Full Scientology ... Never go Full Scientology

These are the same type of tactics Scientology uses against it's critics and they are just as ineffective.

They assume everyone is just as corrupt as they are, so they threaten to leak nonexistent data hoping that their critics are as terrified of their crimes being exposed as they are. Unfortunately for Trump and Scientology, their critics are not criminals like they are and have nothing to hide like they do, so their critics just laugh at these threats.

[klook]

88. Good observation.

As you note, empty threats only work on someone who has debilitating secrets to hide -- or is powerless to withstand phony charges.

[Locrian]

31. he said "leak"

Apparently he's threatening another pee scandal!

[turbinetree]

36. Hey Sexual Predator have you found out what size orange jumpsuit

your about to wear, along with the others pad locked in the chain walk around the ankles, with Manafort, Flynn, Kusher, Page, Invanka, Spicer, Tillerson, Ross, Price, DeVos, Sessions, Ryan, Nunes, McConnell just for starters



You really are that paranoid, and if it was all up and up, during your "dinner", you have no problems right, because since you mentioned "tapes" that's a problem--------a big paranoid problem-------------

[uppityperson]

37. K&R

[R Merm]

38. Only one thing for the FBI to do now

subpoena all recordings 45 has of conversations.

[arlecchino]

41. Is this not extortion

He's attempting to obtain Comey's silence through threats.

He doesn't even have to follow through on the threat - it's been made, and the crime has been committed.

[awesomerwb]

42. Crazy идиот alert.

If there were any tapes it would mean nothing anyway. That's a thinly veiled threat. Not sure how far this идиот will go though.....

[JudyM]

43. He could be referring to conversations pre-election, too... meaning he could show Comey perjured

himself when he testified about his motives in the October Wiener disclosure.

That vid of them greeting each other after the election seemed like they'd previously discussed it... they seemed to be signaling personal acknowledgement of a prior communication, IMO. Comey, especially, acted like, yeah, we know I made this happen, glad to be recognized.

[Wednesdays]

56. That doesn't erase the threat tRump made, it still stands

If Comey goes down in flames, it doesn't exonerate Trump one bit.

[JudyM]

62. Of course.

[Grins]

47. Et tu, Hair Fhrer!

Works both ways.

But if it exists, and if the Twittler Hitler releases it, and if it proves Comey was right - the media will report it, there will be huffing and puffing and the rending of garments, and then - not a damn thing.

[DeminPennswoods]

48. On panelist on CNN seems to think it's set up

for Trump to claim executive privilege to keep Comey from testifying, but Trump repeatedly has shown he doesn't think ahead any farther than the end of his nose, if that far. I think this stuff was just rattling around in his brain and this is what popped out. Like a gumball machine, the next flavor gumball just comes out whether one wanted that flavor or not.

[Silver Gaia]

71. Good analogy with the gumball machine!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

77. The executive privilege argument got shot down 40-some years ago

when the Supreme Court made Nixon turn over his secret tapes.

[lancelyons]

50. How is all of these threats, dinners, firing not obstruction of justice?

I am literally blown away how these threats, meetings, pledging loyalty, firing of comey not Obstruction of Justice.

This literally blows my mind how low the bar has become.

The GOP and Trump seem to not care about laws at all.

How do we combat this scenario when they are constant liars, threatening, obstruction, etc, etc.. Then when they think Hillary lied they have hearing after hearing.

The world is changing.

[dhill926]

51. Ok FBI.....

go get him. Take this orange motherfucker down....

[SHRED]

59. Lots of pro trumpers in the FBI

Unfortunately.

[Paladin]

61. That's what I'm hoping for.

I would imagine that a number of FBI agents have some hugely damaging details on trump, things that could bring his presidency to a merciful ending. If trump and sessions continue to fuck with the bureau, I hope some really devastating stuff appears.

[Shell_Seas]

52. He is the King of America, he can do whatever he wants.

Threaten private citizens.
Get rid of investigations.
Collude with foreign powers.
Violate the constitution.

Absolutely whatever he wants. After all, he is the King.

[SHRED]

57. What will it take?

What will it take for pro-trumpers within the FBI to pull their heads out?

[classykaren]

58. Can he get Comey's pension cancelled?

[not fooled]

64. Hey, he's just being dump

After all, thugs gotta do their thuggery.

He has spent his entire life threatening and bullying others in order to get his way.

Why should he stop now?

Just another periodic thuggery eruption.

[bora13]

65. twisting and turnin

everything this guy does is to impress putin the bear and his flyover freak followers.

[mahina]

66. So he asked if he was under investigation from the time he took office? And he called and asked

Two other unknown times, which could have been very early too?

So he's been worried about being under investigation the whole time?

I bet he is!

Loon.

[Sancho]

68. Recordings in the WH would be public records...

so they would eventually be subject to subpoena or FOIA unless classified.

[LakeArenal]

85. And if there is one tape of one meeting.. You know there are more...

Dump is the one to worry about presidential tapes....

[Solly Mack]

69. That man needs to be put out of his misery and ours.

And by that I mean he seriously needs help and if his family actually gave a fuck about him, they'd get him the help he needs.

I don't give a fuck if he implodes beyond repair, but the danger he presents to the nation grows each passing day.

[Silver Gaia]

72. THIS.

He is very ill, and is a​ danger to himself and others. In this case, "others" means the entire world. He needs to go before the damage is irreversible.

[Mme. Defarge]

73. The madness of the man who would be king

"So why did he do it? Now we know: The king asked whether no one would rid him of this troublesome priest, and got so impatient he did it himself."

I don't usually read Krauthammer but the title of today's column got my attention.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-political-ax-murder/2017/05/11/8189f73a-3671-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-b%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[Efilroft Sul]

74. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[elmac]

76. Comey would never tape a meeting like that

tRump would. Comey, though politically screwed up, seems to follow the letter of the law to the extreme. tRump goes out of his way to break laws.

[hexola]

83. Perhaps - but he would surely expect to be recorded...

Being in that line of work - he would have assumed it was all recorded - off the record or on...

[FailureToCommunicate]

81. Hey Trump, are threats gonna work on someone you've FIRED? Also "leaking" only

applies if you are STILL PART OF AN ORGANIZATION.

As a private citizen, is Comey bound by any specific ethics pledges after termination from FBI?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

84. Any bets there are gaps on the "tapes"?

Mr. Minority President tRump, the 1970s want their Dick Nixon back.

[Oneironaut]

86. This man should be impeached for this alone.

He's tarring the dignity of the office. Pence may be a fundie, but at least he has principles.

[sofa king]

90. You can't hang a man by an MP3 file.

But you can hang a man because of one.