# Comey Memo: Trump Told Him - Shut Down Flynn Probe **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 16, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792 "2017-05-16T21:40:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 47
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/921 "2017-06-20T02:47:43Z")
Senator Whitehouse (which, seriously, if that name were in a screenplay about this, there’s no way an editor would allow it), is suggesting that there is reason to believe [Flynn has been cooperating](http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/05/25/sheldon-whitehouse-flynn-raju-sot.cnn) with the FBI for some time. If this is actually true (usual caveats), it means that he is able to deliver someone(s) above himself. Not a whole lot of people that covers; Sessions, Bannon and or Kushner, Trump. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/922 "2017-06-20T05:03:44Z")
Manafort is way out in the lead for the guy who will take the fall. Don’t want to say “Fall guy” because that implies that he is the innocent goat, which ain’t even close to true. Dirty money, dirty deeds, Russian intelligence, real estate skulduggery, he’s the whole package. Too sloppy for Moscow Centre, Karla would have purged everybody who even touched this, not even Rosa Kleb would have fucked things up this bad. Felix Dzerzhinsky is spinning on his roasting spit. Friggin’ _reporters_ blew this up! Amateurs! ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/923 "2017-06-22T17:16:01Z")
Trump now saying he was [bluffing about tapes](https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-06-22/trump-said-to-not-have-recordings-of-conversations-with-comey). Too bad for him that Comey wasn’t bluffing. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/924 "2017-06-22T17:23:16Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Trump now saying he was [bluffing about tapes](https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-06-22/trump-said-to-not-have-recordings-of-conversations-with-comey). Too bad for him that Comey wasn’t bluffing. Yeah, having someone call your bluff (“Lordy, I hope there are tapes”) is not a good look, especially for someone who claims to be a master negotiator. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/925 "2017-06-22T17:26:20Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Yeah, having someone call your bluff (“Lordy, I hope there are tapes”) is not a good look, especially for someone who claims to be a master negotiator. Dumb legal question though. Isn’t this some form of witness tampering? None other than human garbage pile [Newt Gingrich](http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/338935-gingrich-trump-was-trying-to-rattle-comey-with-tapes-claim) said that this was just Trump “trying to rattle Comey”. That can’t be legal, can it? ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/926 "2017-06-22T17:27:41Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Trump now saying he was [bluffing about tapes](https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-06-22/trump-said-to-not-have-recordings-of-conversations-with-comey). Too bad for him that Comey wasn’t bluffing. God, wotta damm idiot! How can the bumbling orange oaf not understand what an utter embarrassment he is? Truly mind-boggling… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/927 "2017-06-22T17:30:32Z")
Trump’s “Al Capone’s Vault” moment, to no one’s surprise whatsoever. I’m waiting for the apologists here to spin how he isn’t a lying POS who tried to strongarm Comey. And Herr Kleinfuhrer bans live coverage of today’s press briefing. It’s a red-letter day. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/928 "2017-06-22T17:42:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Trump’s “Al Capone’s Vault” moment, to no one’s surprise whatsoever. I’m waiting for the apologists here to spin how he isn’t a lying POS who tried to strongarm Comey. God, you people are dumb. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20202118&postcount=4357](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20202118&postcount=4357) ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/929 "2017-06-22T17:43:03Z")
What a terrible bluff! Why would Comey capitulate to a bluff like that? Trump knew what was said in the meetings. How could Trump think that Comey would cave under a threat of that meeting being recorded? As Comey said in the hearing, he was hoping there was tapes so it would validate what he was saying. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/930 "2017-06-22T17:44:35Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > God, you people are dumb. > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20202118&postcount=4357](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20202118&postcount=4357) Nobody thought that Trump actually had tapes. The problem with bluffing is that the person bluffing has to have a modicum of credibility in order to pull it off. Him announcing that he was full of shit surprised exactly nobody. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/931 "2017-06-22T17:45:54Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Nobody thought that Trump actually had tapes. The problem with bluffing is that the person bluffing has to have a modicum of credibility in order to pull it off. Him announcing that he was full of shit surprised exactly nobody. As I said in that post, it was not a bluff. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/932 "2017-06-22T17:48:46Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > As I said in that post, it was not a bluff. No you didn’t. You said that there were no tapes. Trump said that there might be tapes. That’s a bluff. That’s actually the definition of a bluff. You said in that post that it was a bluff. Just because it was a shitty bluff that no one believes doesn’t make it less of a bluff. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/933 "2017-06-22T17:49:56Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Nobody thought that Trump actually had tapes. ::raises hand slowly:: I believe Trump may actually have a tape of the conversation. My evidence is, Trump says he _doesn’t_. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/934 "2017-06-22T17:54:11Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > No you didn’t. > > You said that there were no tapes. Trump said that there might be tapes. That’s a bluff. That’s actually the definition of a bluff. No. A bluff would be to try to make people believe he had the tapes when he didn’t. He knew no one thought he had the tapes. That was clear from the beginning (as you said just a couple of posts above, and as would be clear to anyone who was not a complete idiot). What it was, as I said, was a stick into an ant hill. Trump knew that the word “tapes” (he even put it into quotes, to emphasize it) causes a kneejerk, visceral reaction in certain population. Achieved its purposes wonderfully. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/935 "2017-06-22T18:07:28Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > No. A bluff would be to try to make people believe he had the tapes when he didn’t. He knew no one thought he had the tapes. That was clear from the beginning (as you said just a couple of posts above, and as would be clear to anyone who was not a complete idiot). > > What it was, as I said, was a stick into an ant hill. Trump knew that the word “tapes” (he even put it into quotes, to emphasize it) causes a kneejerk, visceral reaction in certain population. Achieved its purposes wonderfully. Trump puts things in quotes for the same reason he can’t spell: because he’s an ignoramus who slept through school. Not because he’s playing 4-D chess. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/936 "2017-06-22T18:46:36Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > No. A bluff would be to try to make people believe he had the tapes when he didn’t. He knew no one thought he had the tapes. That was clear from the beginning (as you said just a couple of posts above, and as would be clear to anyone who was not a complete idiot). Bluff, lie, threat, bullshit – split as many hairs as you want. The jury has just returned for the four thousandth time: the President is a one percenter. No, not in terms of his personal wealth, and certainly not an outlaw biker. He’s in the top one percent of the most deceitful, untrustworthy figures in this country. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/937 "2017-06-22T19:07:24Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > No. A bluff would be to try to make people believe he had the tapes when he didn’t. He knew no one thought he had the tapes. That was clear from the beginning (as you said just a couple of posts above, and as would be clear to anyone who was not a complete idiot). > > What it was, as I said, was a stick into an ant hill. Trump knew that the word “tapes” (he even put it into quotes, to emphasize it) causes a kneejerk, visceral reaction in certain population. Achieved its purposes wonderfully. So basically he trolled the country, and that is “wonderful” in your eyes? ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/938 "2017-06-22T19:12:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So basically he trolled the country, and that is “wonderful” in your eyes? No, he trolled his detractors. And continues to do so. The more the detractors concentrate on stupid stuff, the better. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/939 "2017-06-22T19:16:05Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > No, he trolled his detractors. And continues to do so. The more the detractors concentrate on stupid stuff, the better. As opposed to concentrating on important stuff, like the election that happened nine months ago, or how many more scoops of ice cream come with your dessert. ETA: Or what’s on TV at any particular moment. That’s a yuge thing to concentrate all of one’s attention on. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792/940 "2017-06-22T19:17:58Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > No, he trolled his detractors. And continues to do so. The more the detractors concentrate on stupid stuff, the better. And only TRUMP decides what is stupid. Hail him, and praise him! He can do no wrong! Everything TRUMP is GOOD, and anyone who ever criticizes anything about TRUMP is BAD. I commend you for ALWAYS recognizing the PURE GOODNESS of TRUMP, and the EVIL of his critics. For there is nothing, nothing at all wrong with TRUMP. His words and deeds are PURE AS THE FRESH SNOW! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792.md?page=46) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comey-memo-trump-told-him-shut-down-flynn-probe/786792.md?page=48)