Yes, Trump's Tweet Came After The First Leak of Comey's Conversation with Trump, Not After It

Some people, who are as confused about facts as John McCain, keep insisting that Trump and his lawyer must be wrong (or lying) about the timeline of when Trump tweeted about "tapes" and leaking, and when Comey actually leaked.

The claim goes like this: Trump tweeted on May 12th, but the New York Times article in which Comey's pal read the memos over the phone only happened on May 15th.

Ergo, Comey must be telling the truth when he says he leaked only in retalliation to Trump's tweet, and Trump's lawyer must be lying when he says Trump tweeted only after Comey's leaks.

Here's why that's wrong: while there was a New York Times story on the 15th, and that story did feature Comey's pal reading his memos over the phone, in fact, the Comey leak first made the New York Times on May 11th. Comey already leaked (or his friend leaked on his behalf) the claim about Trump demanding loyalty for the story on the 11th (and I imagine the story was relayed on the 10th).

Yes, Comey then had his buddy read the memos to the New York Times later, but the original leak was already out there when Trump put out his tweet.

This Twitter timeline tells the tale.

The only claim that remains viable is that while Comey told his leaky friend about information (or claimed information) he recorded (or claimed to record) in his memos, he only talked this up to his friend before Trump's tweet, but did not actually leak the memos themselves until a couple of days later.

But that's slicing the baloney pretty thin, isn't it?

And I imagine that's one of the questions the Senate Judiciary Committee hopes that having physical possession of the leaked memos might resolve.

posted by Ace at 05:03 PM

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