memeorandum: ANALYSIS: Comey goes nuclear in showdown with Trump (Rick Klein/ABC News)

3:55 PM ET, June 8, 2017

Top Items:

Rick Klein / ABC News:

ANALYSIS: Comey goes nuclear in showdown with Trump — He accused the president and his top aides of lying. He suggested that the president wanted special treatment in exchange for loyalty. He said he thinks he lost his job because of how he handled the Russia investigation.

Discussion: Axios, Political Wire and The Hill

Tara Palmeri / Politico:

Aide: Trump's mood ‘light’ as Comey testimony unfolds — The president decided ahead of time that he wouldn't tweet during the Senate hearing, according to two White House officials. — President Donald Trump decided the night before former FBI director James Comey's Senate testimony …

Discussion: Axios, ABC News, Vox, New York Magazine and The Week

Joe Concha / The Hill:

CNN issues correction after Comey statement contradicts reporting — CNN has corrected a Tuesday report after the release of former FBI Director James Comey's opening statement for his Thursday testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee contradicted the reports' sources.

Discussion: Power Line, Breitbart, Washington Post, zerohedge.com/fullrss2 …, Daily Wire, Vox Popoli, TheBlaze, Washington Free Beacon, TVNewser, Mediaite, The Week, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

Wall Street Journal:

RNC to Lead Trump's Offensive Against Comey — President Donald Trump is outsourcing much of the response to ex-FBI Director James Comey's testimony on Thursday to the Republican National Committee.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, TMZ.com, The Daily Caller, The Week and Politico

JGoldsmith / Lawfare:

Two Reflections on the Comey Statement — Though I agree with much of what Ben says about James Comey's statement, I find myself in greater agreement with David French's account. As French concludes, “there are some elements that are good for President Trump, but overall it shows …

Discussion: National Review, New York Magazine, NPR, The Week, Mashable, The Atlantic, Business Insider, Balloon Juice, Hot Air, Daily Wire, The Federalist, The Guardian, ThinkProgress and Mother Jones

Philip Allen Lacovara / Washington Post:

I helped prosecute Watergate. Comey's statement is sufficient evidence for an obstruction of justice case. — Philip Allen Lacovara, a former U.S. deputy solicitor general in the Justice Department, served as counsel to Watergate special prosecutors Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski.

Discussion: Breitbart, New York Times, The Hill, Daily Wire, The Intercept, RedState, CNBC, Washington Monthly, Gizmodo, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Taylor Marsh, The Week, Vox, Lawfare, The Federalist, Just Security, Townhall.com, Blazing Cat Fur and The Guardian

Alex Ward / Vox:

This is the most important moment of the Comey hearing — And it undercuts many GOP arguments. — Former FBI Director James Comey stated that he took President Donald Trump's comments about letting the Michael Flynn investigation go as a direct request to do it.

Discussion: RedState, Booman Tribune, The Verge and Mediaite

Fox News:

Dershowitz: Comey confirms that I'm right - and all the Democratic commentators are wrong — In his testimony former FBI director James Comey echoed a view that I alone have been expressing for several weeks, and that has been attacked by nearly every Democratic pundit.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

JONATHAN TURLEY:
Did Comey Violate Laws In Leaking The Trump Memo?

Discussion: Newsweek, Above the Law and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Jonathan Turley / USA Today:
James Comey's testimony doesn't make the case for impeachment or obstruction against Donald Trump

Discussion: Breitbart, The Federalist, Los Angeles Times, Betsy's Page, New York Times, New York Magazine and CNN

Politico:
Full text: James Comey testimony transcript on Trump and Russia

Discussion: Vox and The Week

German Lopez / Vox:
James Comey on Trump's excuse for firing him: “those were lies, plain and simple”

Discussion: Politico and Talking Points Memo

New York Times:
Comey Testimony: Highlights of the Hearing

Discussion: Political Wire, New York Times, The Resurgent, Refinery29, Axios and Vox

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
7 takeaways from Comey's extraordinary testimony about what Trump told him to do

Discussion: New York Times, TheBlaze, The Guardian and FiveThirtyEight

Jordain Carney / The Hill: GOP senator threatens to subpoena Comey

New York Times:
‘Must-See TV’: Free Drinks and Canceled Meetings for Comey's Testimony

Discussion: Althouse and The Week

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Comey goes under the microscope

Discussion: Politico, Axios, Daily Kos and The Week

Rich Lowry / Politico:
Comey's fizzle — James Comey has an expectations problem.

Discussion: ABC News, New York Times and Axios

Steve Benen / MSNBC:
Comey's statement points to alleged Trump lies about obstruction

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Mother Jones, The Week and Washington Monthly

Wall Street Journal: The ‘Independent’ Mr. Comey — His prepared testimony shows why he deserved to be fired.

CBS News:
James Comey testimony: “I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation”

Discussion: RedState and CBS Boston

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
5 things to watch in Comey's testimony on Trump and Russia

Discussion: ABC News, Vox, Axios, Mashable, The Hill and IJR

New York Post:
So far, Jim Comey is disappointing the witch-hunters

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Business Insider and The Last Tradition

Jonathan S. Tobin / New York Post: In quest for a Trump crime, Dems refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer

Hannah Moore / Daily Mail:

Saudi soccer team refuse to stand for London victims — By , HANNAH MOORE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA — The Saudi Arabian soccer team failed to line up for a minute's silence for the London terror victims on Thursday night. — Fans were left outraged at the display ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Australia in Adelaide.

Discussion: Blazing Cat Fur, Young Conservatives and The Daily Caller

Bob Fredericks / New York Post:

Does John McCain even know what's going on? — Sen. John McCain startled onlookers on Thursday as he appeared to conflate the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the campaign with the closed probe into Hillary Clinton's private email server. — McCain said he was troubled …

Discussion: Boston Globe, Mother Jones and Blazing Cat Fur

Breanna Edwards / The Root:

‘Shut Up, Slave!’: White Man Hurls Insults, Compares Black Man to Livestock During Altercation at Chicago Starbucks — We apparently have not yet hit our racist-tirade quota for the day. A white man at a downtown Chicago café was captured on camera launching into a rant …

abc7chicago.com:
Man charged after altercation outside Starbucks in Chicago's Loop

Discussion: Raw Story and Hullabaloo

Caroline Fountain / WNYW-TV:

Group left out of Charlotte's Pride Parade because they support President Trump — CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46) - A group says ‘Charlotte Pride’ is pushing them out of the Gay Pride Parade because they support President Trump. — “I'm very proud of my country, proud of my president …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Washington Post, IJR, TheBlaze, The Gateway Pundit and PinkNews

Joseph Wulfsohn / Mediaite:

Twitter Explodes After Kurt Eichenwald Allegedly Tweets Photo That Shows His Interest in Anime Porn — Back in December, Tucker Carlson and Newsweek's Kurt Eichenwald had one of the most epic on-air battles in recent memory. And apparently Eichenwald is still bitter about it.

Discussion: RedState, The Daily Caller, Gizmodo and twitchy.com

Rachael Bade / Politico:

Gowdy picked by GOP steering committee to chair House Oversight panel — The Republican Steering Committee on Thursday backed Rep. Trey Gowdy to become the next chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. — The move — if confirmed by the full GOP Conference …

Discussion: The Week

The Daily Beast:

Are the Feds Treating the White House Like a Mob House? … It's no accident your phone lights up nearly every night with new revelations about Team Trump's connections to Russia. So many different investigators with so many different agendas are looking into so many different parts of that nexus …

Michael Grunwald / Politico:

The Scandal Hiding In Plain Sight — “Perhaps the mystery is a little too plain,” said Dupin. — “Oh, good heavens! Who ever heard of such an idea?” — “A little too self-evident.” — “Ha! ha! ha!—ha! ha! ha!—ho! ho! ho!” —Edgar Allan Poe, The Purloined Letter