The drama surrounding James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee last Thursday and President Trump's angry challenge of his statements will come down to a "he said, he said" confrontation, with the president's future at stake. The facts in the matter will persuade some people on the truth of conflicting claims of presidential misconduct, but many will judge the high-stakes confrontation on the strength of their impressions of the two principals' credibility. Which man's claim to honesty stands up better?
The facts in the matter are blurred by the president's conflicting statements over Comey's dismissal. When Trump fired Comey five weeks ago, the president first said it was because he was an ineffective leader. Two days later, Trump's story radically changed. In a widely viewed interview, Trump said that he fired Comey over "this Russia thing," which the president declared was "a made-up story." The facts do not support Trump's later allegations: 17 American intelligence agencies are in substantive agreement on Russia's meddling in our election process. Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified before the Senate that Trump's appointment to the very sensitive position of national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was compromised and could be blackmailed by the Russians. Former National Intelligence Director James Clapper also testified "What needs to happen here is to clear this cloud that's hanging over the administration, over the president, the White House. It would be in everyone's best interest to get to the bottom of this."
Ever since the firing, speculation has run rampant that the president's motivation for firing Comey was to impede investigations into this Russian thing. What little we know of the interactions between the two is subject to wildly different interpretation. Did the president try to lean on Comey at a private dinner where he demanded loyalty? Did that meeting, where the president said, "I hope you can let this go," constitute an order, a simple wish or something else — perhaps a threat? Trump characterized it as "Flynn's a good guy. Can you see your way clear to get this investigation over with?" Comey heard the president's statement as, "I want you to stop this investigation."
Trump's position as Comey's boss can't help but to color his interpretation of the request. If your boss, the person with the power to fire you, clears a room to have a private conversation, and in that meeting says, "I hope you can do your job the way I want you to," you would certainly be entitled to draw the conclusion that was a direct order and your continued employment depended on doing what the boss wanted. Certainly it explains Comey's meticulous note-taking after each encounter with the president. It accounts for his testifying that he did so because he was "honestly concerned he might lie."
Former FBI Director Comey has been described as a Boy Scout. Whether or not one believes his conduct during the 2016 election was proper, there is little debate that he intended to deport himself in accordance with the law as he understands it. When the president suggested he might have tapes contradicting Comey's statements, he said, "Lordy, I hope there are tapes." Would you hope for evidence showing you were a liar?
The president's loose relationship with facts has been subject to scrutiny ever since he decided to enter politics. He was the main cheerleader for the discredited birther movement. His campaign was marred by more than a few provable falsehoods, like declaring Ted Cruz's father was linked to the JFK assassination. Trump lied about the size of the crowd that turned out to see his inauguration. He lied about the weather at his inauguration. His chief spokesperson said that he had "alternative facts." In 2015, Politifact gave Trump its highly undesirable "Lie of the Year," and the 2016 Lie of the Year was Fake News, which "found a willing enabler in Donald Trump."
So there you have it. Which man's claim to honesty stands up better?
Mitch Edelman writes from Finksburg. Email him at mjemath@gmail.com.
