Donald Trump is backing away from threats to take action against former FBI director James Comey.
Donald Trump’s lawyers will postpone filing a complaint against former FBI Director James Comey with the Justice Department, according to a person familiar with the decision — a bid to stop antagonizing the special counsel who’s investigating ties between the president’s campaign and Russian officials.
It’s possible, even likely, that Trump’s lawyers might be concerned about continually prodding Robert Mueller, though that notion doesn’t seem to have occurred to Trump. It’s even more likely that they’ve notice that Comey “leaking” an unclassified memo he wrote himself is neither a leak, nor a crime. Providing your own words on a situation generally goes by another name—testimony.
But just because Trump didn’t pull the trigger this time doesn’t mean he’s dropping the idea. He’s just backing off … to an infinite distance.
The president’s lawyers still intend to file a complaint at some point, the person familiar with the matter said. The person insisted on anonymity to discuss the president’s legal strategy. The delay is a professional courtesy to the special counsel, Robert Mueller, and a signal that the White House understands he needs space to do his job, the person said.
Courtesy. Just like the “professional courtesy” Trump was showing Mueller with this official White House Statement.
<div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="
You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history – led by some very bad and conflicted people! #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2017
“>
You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history – led by some very bad and conflicted people! #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2017