Comey: Former FBI chief's testimony provides no smoking gun

Former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before a Senate panel on the investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election Thursday gave opponents of President Donald Trump no smoking gun to point to.

But Comey's testimony was illuminating, to say the least. He laid bare his contacts with Trump and said, in essence, that the president and his staff had lied about him and the FBI. Comey painted a picture of a president whom he said he feared would lie about their conversations so much that Comey made notes of them to protect himself. Eventually, he said, he so distrusted Trump that he did not want to be left alone with him.

On Friday, Trump struck back, calling Comey a liar. Trump also said he was willing to testify under oath about what happened between the two men.

So, who do you believe, the nation's former top lawman or a president with a record of sometimes mishandling the truth. The answer might ultimately not have any effect on the outcome of the investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 elections, and it certainly will not convince Trump's supporters to stop backing him. But it could weaken the president so badly that he will not be able to concentrate on the many other aspects of his job.

We hope investigators get to the bottom of this mess quickly. It does America no good for it to play out in the long-term.

Published in Editorials on June 10, 2017 10:31 PM