The Senate Intelligence Committee has released a copy of the opening statement former FBI Director James Comey will deliver on Thursday concerning his interactions with President Trump. It really doesn't do it justice to say it's bizarre. In Comey's account of a series of meetings, dinners, and phone calls, President Trump repeatedly used mob-movie-style language and tactics to try to co-opt the FBI director—including by repeatedly demanding his "loyalty." That lines up with what we learned about Trump's staff last week. Apparently, in preparation for the Russia coverage to come, they've been using the phrase, "Go to the mattresses"—a line straight from The Godfather, which is reportedly one of his favorite movies.
Exhibit A:
"The thing"?
There were also the president's repeated demands that Comey pledge a loyalty oath:
And again:
Comey also describes the feeling that the president was trying to trap him in a patronage relationship:
Comey also recounts the meeting where Trump tried to get him to drop the investigation of Michael Flynn, now at the center of the larger Russia investigation:
The president also allegedly called the FBI director to assure him he "had not been involved with hookers in Russia."
Trump also complained to Comey about the "cloud" of the Russia investigation, and asked the FBI director to help him get out from under it:
The situation got so bad that, as has been reported, Comey asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make sure he wouldn't be stuck one-on-one with the president:
I wouldn't want to be caught one-on-one with Don Vito, either. Someone tell the president to lay off the Sopranos reruns—he's got a country to run! For now.
