Thursday during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing featuring testimony from former FBI Director James Comey said he did not tell President Donald Trump his request to let the invesigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn “go” was inappropriate because he was not “Captain Courageous.”
Partial transcript as follows:
RUBIO: As you understood it he was asking not about the general Russian investigation he was asking very specifically about the jeopardy that Flynn was in himself.
COMEY: That’s how I understood it yes sir.
RUBIO: As you perceived it, while he was a request that you hoped you would do away with it, you perceived it as an order? Given his position and the setting and alike and some of the circumstances.
COMEY: Yes.
RUBIO: At the time did you say anything to the president about that, that’s not an appropriate request or tell the White House counsel that is not an appropriate request, someone needs to tell the president that he can’t do these things?
COMEY: I didn’t, no.
RUBIO: Okay. Why?
COMEY: I don’t know. I think the circumstances were such that I was a bit stunned and didn’t have the presence of mind. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m Captain Courageous. I don’t know if I had had the presence of mind I would have said to the president, ‘Sir. that’s wrong.’ I don’t know if I would have In the moment, it didn’t come to my mind. What came to my mind was, be careful what you say. And ‘I said, I agree Flynn is a good guy.’
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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