One of the largest revelations to come out of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s public hearing with former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday was that President Trump was not under investigation. That fact didn’t seem to sit well with CBS’s John Dickerson when he appeared during CBS News Special Report after the hearing. Almost desperately, Dickerson tried to argue Trump had to be under scrutiny, “So, a President who was once concerned about not being under investigation those actions he took may now, in fact, make him under investigation.”
Despite Comey’s testimony, Dickerson asserted that Trump was most likely being investigated by the FBI now in light of recent events. “The challenge to the President is though, he says he wasn't being investigated then, but there was every indication from Comey’s testimony today that the President is being now on this question of obstruction. And yesterday the acting FBI director suggested that it was part of the investigation,” he claimed.
But that’s not the case, according to CBS legal correspondent Jan Crawford. When asked by This Morning co-host Noah O’Donnell if Trump was in “any legal jeopardy” she didn’t think so, saying:
I mean, as a legal matter, I don't think that Comey really provided that clear evidence of obstruction of justice Democrats were may have been hoping for. What was missing was this discussion of Trump’s intent. The President, whether or not he acted in a corrupt or improper purpose when he was kind of telling Comey all of these things. We didn't hear that today.
And according to Dickerson, Trump’s character took a massive hit Thursday as well. “On the character front though, the President took a hammering from Comey. He said the first time they met he was concerned about the nature of the President, that we would not tell the truth,” he explained. “Then the President repeatedly did not tell the truth. And that when he defamed himself with the FBI—when he defamed Comey and the FBI was a series of lies. On a character front, it was a bad day for the President.”
Dickerson could just be getting some jabs in because claims of Trump hurting his reputation has been par for the course throughout his time in politics.
Transcript below:
CBS News Special Report
June 8, 2017
2:26:54 PMGAYLE KING: John, when the hearing started today Senator Burr said “now is a time for Comey to tell his side of the story and set the record straight.” What struck you most about what he had to say today?
JOHN DICKERSON: Well there are two sections of this testimony. One was the kind of legal case. Actually, what I think what happened in the course of the testimony it there was a lot of back and forth. For those who want to defend the President in the political context they can say that the President was anxious to get the investigation through and was putting pressure on James Comey because Comey had said something in private. The President wasn't under investigation and wouldn't say it publicly. And the reason that’s important is, Republicans who need to defend the President, need an alternative narrative to the one which is: “The president wanted to fired Comey because he wanted to end the investigation.” I think they got evidence on that.
On the character front though, the President took a hammering from Comey. He said the first time they met he was concerned about the nature of the President, that we would not tell the truth. Then the president repeatedly did not tell the truth. And that when he defamed himself with the FBI—when he defamed Comey and the FBI was a series of lies. On a character front it was a bad day for the President.
NOAH O’DONNELL: Jan, any legal jeopardy?
JAN CRAWFORD: I mean, as a legal matter, I don't think that Comey really provided that clear evidence of obstruction of justice Democrats were may have been hoping for. What was missing was this discussion of Trump’s intent. The President, whether or not he acted in a corrupt or improper purpose when he was kind of telling Comey all of these things. We didn't hear that today.
CHARLIE ROSE: One of the things we expect the lawyer to talk about is the fact that it has now been confirmed that he, the President, was not under investigation by the FBI.
CRAWFORD: Not at that time.
ROSE: Not at that time.
DICKERSON: And that’s the thing the President--- Going back to the fact that this is a political court in a sense now, because Congress is the only one that could take action against the president. For the President to say “you told me that in private, but you wouldn’t say it in public.” Why was Comey so frustrating quiet on that front? The challenge to the President is though, he says he wasn't being investigated then, but there was every indication from Comey testimony today that the President is being now on this question of obstruction. And yesterday the acting FBI director suggested that it was part of the investigation.
So, a President who was once concerned about not being under investigation those actions he took may now, in fact, make him under investigation.
(…)
