Letter: Headlines not supported by the facts
My opinion — supported by others — is that the McClatchy Washington Bureau and the New York Times frequently publish left-leaning headlines not supported by the facts. The TCH republishes these articles.
The June 8 headline, “Comey to say Trump urged him to drop or curb probe,” causes the average reader to believe the president was attempting to restrict the Russian voting investigation. Comey’s published remarks make it clear that the president was referring only to Gen. Flynn’s potential investigation for possibly lying to the FBI. According to Comey, the president said, “He is a good guy and has been through a lot” and “I hope you can let this go.”
The “Russian cloud” refers to the public perception that the president is being personally investigated. Comey on three occasions admitted to the president that he was not being investigated. The president’s frustration deals with the fact that the FBI had not disclosed this fact to the public.
Apparently Comey did not believe the president’s actions were inappropriate, because he did not warn against presidential pressure, alert the attorney general, discuss the matter with White House counsel or feel the need to resign.
Donald Havre, Richland
This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Letter: Headlines not supported by the facts."