Washington, DC. In shocking late breaking news, the President of the United States Donald Trump has admitted to wiretapping former FBI Director James Comey and trying to blackmail him into a loyalty pledge, prior to his surprise firing Tuesday.
President Donald Trump threatened former FBI director James Comey on Twitter on Friday morning with the release of conversations the President was recording between himself and Comey.
Trump tweeted: “James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”
The message, which taken at face value would suggest Trump has been secretly taping White House meetings, came after reports that Trump demanded “loyalty” from Comey in a private dinner held shortly after Trump took office. Comey’s response to such overtures is unknown, but the tapes would shed light on the issue and has left legal experts in speculation mode as to what else might come out of the “Trump tapes.”
FBI Director Comey, who was overseeing an investigation into alleged links between Trump aides and Russian intelligence operations during the 2016 election, was fired on Tuesday in a surprise announcement.
White House spokesperson Sean Spicer initially claimed Comey was fired by recommendation of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who was dissatisfied with Comey’s handling of the Clinton email scandal. But Trump later admitted it was entirely his decision and said “this Russia thing” factored into it.
The White House’s constantly shifting story on Comey’s firing fueled controversy as administration officials who initially followed the Rosenstein line had to confront Trump’s statements about wiretapping with reporters Friday.
Former FBI Director Comey has been asked to testify on Capitol Hill next Tuesday, over the circumstances of his firing and his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. American legal experts speculate if Trump has now reached a point for possible crimes of impeachment in this latest political mess.