Updates to our Terms of Use

We are updating our Terms of Use. Please carefully review the updated Terms before proceeding to our website.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Trump Admits There Are No Secret Comey Tapes

President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Thursday afternoon to finally admit that he has no tapes of his conversations with former FBI director James Comey.

WASHINGTON (CN) - President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Thursday afternoon to finally admit that he has no tapes of his conversations with former FBI director James Comey.

Trump's admission comes after he previously teased in a tweet that there might be secret recordings of conversations between Comey and himself.

On May 12, he set both political wags and serious reporters to rampant speculating when he tweeted  "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press," just days after he abruptly fired the FBI director.

Comey was leading the charge into an investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and was also exploring possible improprieties between members of the Trump campaign and Russian contacts.

The veiled threat also spurred a memorable line from Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee weeks later.

“Lordy, I hope there are tapes,” the former director said as he sussed out the details of his often tense and strained relationship with the new president.

But on Thursday, Trump offered a characteristically cryptic conclusion in a tweet. He hinted that Comey may be recorded somewhere else, by someone else, but as far as he is concerned, questions about the tapes can stop coming in his direction.

"With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings," the president tweeted.

Categories / Government, National, Politics

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Loading...