James Comey’s memos of his conversations with Donald Trump include a lot of details on who said what, where they said it, how they said it, along with some speculation on why they said it. But the 15 pages of memos also contain a good deal of information that’s just scene-setting or unrelated. Here then are The Comey memos … the very short version:
January 6, 2017—written in Comey’s car after meeting at Trump Tower
Comey clears the room to tell Trump about the accusations of the pee pee tape incident. Trump begins by telling Comey he has a “great reputation” and that Comey “tried to save her” (presumably meaning that Comey had tried to help Hillary Clinton), but that Trump “thought highly of him.”
As Comey is describing the accusations, Trump interrupts with “there were no prostitutes, there were never any prostitutes.” Trump also mutters “2013” and appears to be trying to recall his visit to Moscow. Trump compares the incident to “all the women who falsely accused him of grabbing them and touching them.” With this bonus statement:
With particular mention of a “stripper” who said he grabbed her.
So in this very first meeting, Trump appears to be comparing the truthfulness of the pee pee tape to the accusations of Stormy Daniels. Since Trump has used the claims of other women as the standard for measuring the truth behind events in Moscow, it’s not exactly making the hookers seem any less likely.
Here are the rest of the memos ...
January 28, 2017—Written following Comey’s “private” dinner with Trump
Comey notes that Trump did by far most of the talking, and that the subjects were all over the place. Like “conversation as a jigsaw puzzle.” Among other things, Trump brags about the inaugural crowd and how good he is at playing the media. Mixed into this is another claim that he never assaulted any of the women who had accused him.
Trump makes it clear to Comey that many people would like to see him gone and suggests there is a long line of potential nominees to take his seat “like 20 people.” He also tells Comey that if he fires him, it will be bad for Comey because it will hurt his reputation. This is the point where Trump tells Comey.
He needed loyalty and he expected loyalty.
Trump launches into a detailed conversation on Hillary Clinton’s emails, interrogating Comey about both his thinking and how other people in the FBI reacted. Trump apparently had the impression that most FBI agents were in an uproar after Comey failed to recommend that Clinton be indicted.
Trump goes on to complain about “your guy McCabe” who Trump says “has a problem with me.” Trump doesn’t mention anything McCabe has done, but talks about how hard he has been on McCabe’s wife. Apparently Trump is anticipating that McCabe will behave as Trump would and look for revenge.
Soon afterward, Trump returns to “the golden showers thing.” Trump says he worries that Melania might believe it. He then says that he talked to people who were on the trip with him, and “they had reminded him he didn’t stay overnight in Russia.” Trump talks about asking Comey to investigate to “prove it is a lie.” Trump then returns to praising Comey and demanding loyalty.
Finally, Trump expresses doubts about Michael Flynn’s “judgement” and tells a story indicating that some foreign leader (the New York Times has reported that it was Putin) was actually the first to call and congratulate Trump, but that Flynn didn’t tell him about the call until days later. Again, Trump states that Flynn “has serious judgement issues.”
January 29, 2017—written following a White House “meet and greet”
Comey meets with several people, including Flynn, before he is corned by “Reince Priebus’ assistant” and taken to Preibus’ office. Preibus starts immediately by asking about the Steele Dossier and how it ended up as part of the FBI’s report. Comey explains that the information seems to be collaborated by other sources and that Steele was respected … though several parts of this conversation are redacted, including Steele’s name. Preibus asks Comey who had leaked this information, but Comey says he doesn’t know.
He then asked me if this was a “private conversation” and I said it was.
Well, until now it was. Preibus tries to get Comey to talk about any FBI investigation into Flynn, including whether or not they have a FISA warrant. Comey refuses to answer. Preibus goes on to express his ideas on the Clinton emails, which is apparently a topic everyone on Trump’s team is still anxious to talk about. Finally, Preibus takes Comey to see Trump.
Trump talks about a variety of topics including, shocker, asking again why Comey didn’t charge Clinton over the emails and asking if other people recommended that he do so. Trump complains about leaks that are clearly coming from his own White House.
Trump again launches into the “golden showers thing” saying again that he is worried Melania might believe it. Trump says again that he did not stay overnight in Russia during the Miss Universe trip. Preibus apparently tries to complain about the Steele dossier, though part of this statement is redacted. Trump says that “the hookers thing is nonsense,” but follows this up with:
Putin had told him ‘we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world.’
Trump then asks Comey if his comment that the US is as bad as Russia about being “killers” was okay and gets upset when Comey doesn’t agree.
February 14, 2017—written following a White House threat briefing
Following the briefing, Trump asks to speak with Comey alone. Sessions and Kushner linger, but Trump shoos them away. He then tells Comey he wants to talk about Michael Flynn. Trump says that Flynn “hasn’t done anything wrong” and that Flynn is “a good guy.” Trump then complains about leaks of his White House conversations, during which he says “I have one of the world’s greatest memories”—this from the same man who said that friends reminded him that he hadn’t spent a night in Moscow. Trump then complained not just about the leaks of his calls, but the leaks about Flynn’s calls to the Russians.
Comey tries to make the point that leaks about FBI investigations are also terrible, and create problems for the FBI. Trump continues talking about leaks and discusses getting Sessions to see if there are ways to get more “aggressive” with news sources that publish leaks.
Trump goes back to talking about Flynn.
‘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.’
Trump returns to talking about leaks, and laughs about the idea of putting reporters in jail where they “make a new friend” and are ready to inform on leakers.
March 1, 2017—brief note following call from Trump
Comey says that Trump called to ask “how he was doing.” They exchange a few notes on a Sessions’ speech, and Trump finishes by telling Comey that he’s “doing great.”
March 30, 2017—Written following a longer call from Trump
Trump opens by joking that Comey “is getting more publicity than him.” Trump complains that “this Russia business” is making it hard to run the country. He says that he was not involved with Russia, and once again states that “the hookers” story was nonsense.
‘Can you imagine me, hookers? I have a beautiful wife.’
Because Donald Trump would never cheat on a beautiful wife.
Trump says he is bringing a personal lawsuit against Christopher Steele and says he has testimony from people who traveled with him to Moscow. Trump presses Comey to end the investigation.
He asked what I could do to lift the cloud.
Comey explains that he is trying to conduct the investigation as quickly as possible. Trump returns to complaining. Comey gives Trump a personal reassurance:
I reminded him that I had told him we were not investigating him and I told the Congressional leadership the same thing.
Trump then claims not to know Sergei Millian, who was in the news at that point. After this, Trump starts again attacking McCabe as someone who is connected to the Clintons.
After this call, Comey called Jeff Sessions to ask if he had any advice.
April 11, 2017—Written following a brief phone call from Trump
Trump asks what Comey is doing to get out the word that Trump isn’t under investigation. Comey says that he’s talked to the DOJ, but since Sessions has recused himself, he has to ask Deputy AG Dana Boente. Trump insists that Comey do something.
‘Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal. And we had that thing, you know?’
Comey insists that Trump needs to get the DOJ to make any statement on the investigation. After a discussion of some Middle East events, Trump brings their last conversation to a conclusion.
He then said I was doing a great job and wished me well. The call ended.
Three weeks after this last call, Donald Trump had his bodyguard sneak a dismissal letter onto Comey’s desk while Comey was on the West Coast talking to FBI agents.