President Trump sent out a series of tweets on Sunday that started very early in the morning with a denial he asked former FBI Director James Comey to drop the investigation into Michael Flynn:
I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
Comey, who kept contemporaneous notes of his interactions with Trump, testified under oath that the president, the day after firing Flynn, said to Comey, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.”
After a few retweets, Trump turned to attacking the FBI:
Tainted (no, very dishonest?) FBI “agent’s role in Clinton probe under review.” Led Clinton Email probe. @foxandfriends Clinton money going to wife of another FBI agent in charge.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
...Trump...sought to cast doubt on the impartiality of Mueller’s investigation, citing reports that FBI agent Peter Strzok had been removed from the special counsel’s team after an internal investigation of text messages he reportedly wrote that were interpreted as being critical of Trump. Mueller’s office confirmed that he had been reassigned in late July.
Trump declared that the FBI’s reputation was “in Tatters, worst in History!” in the wake of Comey’s tenure. “Fear not,” he wrote. “We will bring it back to greatness.”
In response Sunday, Comey, who in recent days has been tweeting famous quotations about truth and justice, offered a quote from his own Senate testimony earlier this year. “I want the American people to know this truth: The FBI is honest. The FBI is strong. And the FBI is, and always will be, independent.”
Trump also weighed in on ABC News' decision to discipline chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross for misreporting a key detail related to the Flynn guilty plea:
NYT:
Ross...has been suspended for four weeks without pay after incorrectly reporting that Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser, would testify that President Trump had directed him to make contact with Russian officials while Mr. Trump was still a candidate, the network announced on Saturday.
Mr. Trump directed Mr. Flynn to make contact after the election, as president-elect, the network said.
People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 points based on the False and Dishonest reporting of Brian Ross of @ABC News (he has been suspended), should consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused - many millions of dollars!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC), appearing on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday, offered President Trump some advice:
"There is an ongoing criminal investigation. Comey may be part of it. You tweet and comment regarding ongoing criminal investigations at your own peril. I would be very careful if I were you, Mr. President. I'd watch this."
‘I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn’: Trump goes on tweetstorm about the FBI (WaPo)
As Mueller probe deepens, Trump says he didn't ask Comey to stop investigating Flynn (LA Times)
ABC Suspends Reporter Brian Ross Over Erroneous Report About Trump (NYT)