Trump the Inept
The stunning allegation that President Trump in February asked then-FBI chief James Comey to shut down the investigation of his national-security adviser, Michael Flynn, guarantees fresh political nightmares for the administration.
If the actual memo resembles what The New York Times and others reported Tuesday night (without having actually seen it), a major independent probe of Russian meddling in US politics is a sure thing.
And it’s the latest, and largest, of a whole series of ham-handed presidential actions.
“I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” the words the president reportedly uttered, will be paired with Trump’s freely offered account to NBC’s Lester Holt.
The one where he said he’d decided early on to fire Comey over the FBI investigation into possible collusion with Russia.
Yes, the White House is denying the Times’ report: “The president has never asked Mr. Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn,” it stated. “This is not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey.”
But Trump already created a White House credibility problem by telling his tale to Holt
after top aides and even Vice President Mike Pence had sworn that the prez fired Comey solely on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, based on Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton e-mail probe.
The flap over whether Trump inappropriately disclosed secret material to top Russian officials already seems old. But that story, too, gained new life thanks to the president.
Top officials including National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster denied the thrust of the claims on Monday, and again on Tuesday. But in between, Trump took to Twitter and seemed to confirm the stories by defending his “absolute right” to “share with Russia” information about terrorism.
Both Democrats and Republicans are demanding a transcript of that meeting, and a tape, if any exists — because an earlier Trump tweet raised suspicions he’s recording his conversations.
The president needs to get a handle on his words — on his public communications, online and on-air, and on even his private comments. He’s already sabotaging his own agenda, and possibly putting his very presidency at risk.