Members of the media quickly took to Twitter when a copy of ousted FBI Director James Comey’s opening statement for Thursday’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee was released a day ahead.
Comey will confirm reports that President Trump pressured him to “see your way clear to letting this go” of the bureau’s investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn and pledge his loyalty to the president, according to a copy of his opening remarks.
Some took the opportunity to mock the way cable news covered the statement, while others feel Thursday’s testimony will be very bad for Trump.
Pundits on both sides of the political aisle expressed their thoughts on Twitter, check out some of the reaction:
https://twitter.com/SopanDeb/status/872521184167985162
CNN: Comey
MSNBC: Comey
Fox News: Why is the media talking so much about Russia? pic.twitter.com/0Xc9lOGymA— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) June 7, 2017
Reading the Comey statement, irony is that for all the criticism of him by WH, he could have likely led Trump to be more explicitly in 1/
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 7, 2017
2/2 the Flynn discussion. He says he did not do so. It left the president's statement ambiguous.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 7, 2017
Comey says he was "compelled" to document Trump talks, did so in an FBI vehicle outside Trump tower "the moment" he left their 1st meeting.
— “the reporter” (@AriMelber) June 7, 2017
Comey’s testimony makes it clear that Sessions knew what Trump was doing, and he did nothing to intervene. Just played dumb. pic.twitter.com/VJ35zrOScu
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) June 7, 2017
I'm reading James Comey's opening statement for tomorrow's Senate hearing and folks, it is very bad for President Trump. Fireworks tomorrow.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) June 7, 2017
From the moment Trump fired Comey, Trump has been playing a losing game against him, esp after that "tapes" tweet. #ComeyTestimony
— Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) June 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/CillizzaCNN/status/872521587077066752
My Twitter feed is nothing but excerpts of the Comey testimony while CNN anchors read passages of it to each other on my TV.
— Matt Ford (@fordm) June 7, 2017
Comey's statement establishes obstruction of justice by Trump. Period.
— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) June 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/CillizzaCNN/status/872517349080956937
CNN: Detail of Comey writing has "ring of truth," suggests he expects to testify in the future — for obstruction of justice or impeachment.
— Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) June 7, 2017
Dear news networks: Can we get some dramatic readings of Comey’s testimony instead of just anchors reading from paper?
— Matt Viser (@mviser) June 7, 2017
I will say that, given how this is Infrastructure Week, the Comey testimony certainly is evidence our moral infrastructure has collapsed.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) June 7, 2017
No immediate comment from Pres Trump on Comey advance testimony, but @SHSanders45 finds timing of the release "a little bit interesting."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 7, 2017
If Dems hadn't wildly overplayed the notion that Trump colluded with Russia in 2016, Comey testimony would hurt him. They did. So it won't.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 7, 2017
#Comey memo takeaway in the chattering class: We see what we want to see and pull out the parts that best suits the home team narrative. Fin
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) June 7, 2017
DC'S HOTTEST READ IS THE COMEY STATEMENT pic.twitter.com/DCesWU1tg1
— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) June 7, 2017