Trump's Holt Interview: Lawful Or Not?

In a 2017 interview with Lester Holt, President Donald Trump revealed that he had fired FBI Director James Comey due to the Russia probe. Trump's comments contradicted the White House's official statement that Comey's firing was based on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Trump's admission raised legal questions, with some arguing that he may have obstructed justice and interfered with the ongoing FBI investigation into Russian election interference. Trump later claimed that Holt “fudged the interview tape, an accusation refuted by journalists who pointed to the full video posted by NBC.

Trump's admission of firing Comey

In an interview with Lester Holt, Donald Trump admitted that firing James Comey was his decision and that he would have done so regardless of the recommendation from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Trump called Comey a “showboat” and a “grandstander”, stating that the FBI had been in turmoil under his leadership and that he wanted someone more competent to run the investigation. He also claimed that Comey had told him on three occasions that he was not under investigation, despite the ongoing probe into his campaign's potential collusion with Russia.

Trump's admission raised questions about obstruction of justice, as it contradicted the White House's official statement that Comey was fired on Rosenstein's recommendation. Legal experts and media outlets debated whether Trump's comments constituted evidence of obstruction. Some argued that Trump's statement about his motivation for firing Comey—his belief that the Russia probe was a "made-up story"—indicated an intent to obstruct the investigation.

However, others pointed out that Trump also said he wanted the Russia probe to be conducted properly and that he expected it to continue, even if it took longer due to Comey's firing. They argued that Trump's primary issue with Comey was his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, which occurred a year before the Russia probe and had caused turmoil within the FBI. Legal analysts suggested that this context provided a different interpretation of Trump's state of mind, and any obstruction case built solely on the Lester Holt interview would be weak.

Trump himself later claimed that the interview was “fudged” and fake, despite the entire video being available on NBC's website. He accused the media of dishonesty and spreading fake news, labelling reporters as "the enemy of the people".

Trump's claims of interview being 'fudged'

On August 30, 2018, former US President Donald Trump accused NBC anchor Lester Holt of "fudging" a tape of a 2017 interview in which Trump discussed firing FBI director James Comey and the Russia probe. In a series of tweets, Trump claimed that Holt was "caught fudging my tape on Russia", without providing any evidence to support his accusation.

The interview in question, which took place in May 2017, just two days after Comey's dismissal, saw Trump openly acknowledging that "the Russia thing" was on his mind when he decided to fire Comey. This contradicted the official White House explanation that Comey was fired based on a recommendation from the deputy attorney general.

Trump's accusation against Holt came amid a broader attack on the media, specifically CNN and NBC, which he accused of being "failing networks". He also targeted CNN boss Jeff Zucker and NBC's Andy Lack, claiming that they were incompetent and that Lack was about to be fired.

The specific meaning of "fudging" in this context is unclear, especially since the entire video of the interview has been publicly available on NBC's website since it was first broadcast. Many interpreted Trump's accusation as a deflection from the legal implications of his admission that he fired Comey due to the Russia investigation.

Trump's Russia probe comments

In an interview with Lester Holt in May 2017, then-President Donald Trump commented on the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Russia probe, and allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Trump's remarks on the Russia probe were particularly noteworthy and sparked significant reactions.

During the interview, Trump stated that he had decided to fire Comey due to his handling of the Russia probe. He claimed, "I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story; it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.' So when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story." This statement contradicted the official White House position that Comey's dismissal was based on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Trump's comments on the Russia probe had significant implications. He essentially admitted that his decision to fire Comey was influenced by the ongoing investigation into potential collusion between his campaign and Russia. This contradicted his previous assertions that there was no collusion and that the Russians did not impact the election outcome. Trump's statement also implied that he may have attempted to obstruct the investigation by removing Comey from his position.

Legal experts and journalists raised concerns about the legality and appropriateness of Trump's remarks. Some argued that Trump's admission of a possible obstruction of justice motive could be used as evidence in any future legal proceedings related to the Russia probe. Additionally, Trump's claim that Comey had informed him he was not under investigation was disputed, as Comey had testified under oath that Trump's campaign was under investigation.

Trump's comments on the Russia probe in the Lester Holt interview sparked intense scrutiny and debate. His assertion that the Russia story was "made-up" and his implication of a potential obstruction of justice motive for Comey's firing created a politically and legally problematic situation for the president. The interview became a pivotal moment in the ongoing discussions about Trump's relationship with Russia and the integrity of the US electoral process.

Trump's claims of no collusion with Russians

In May 2017, President Trump gave an exclusive interview to NBC News' Lester Holt, in which he made several claims regarding the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump stated that he was not under investigation by the FBI, despite the organisation investigating his campaign. He also claimed that former FBI Director James Comey had told him on three separate occasions that he was not being investigated. However, Comey had testified under oath that Trump's campaign was under investigation.

Trump also admitted that he fired Comey because of "this Russia thing", contradicting the official White House line that Comey was fired on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Trump's comments suggested that he fired Comey to impede the investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia, which could be construed as obstruction of justice.

Trump later claimed that the interview with Holt was fake, accusing the journalist of "fudging" the tape. However, the entire interview was posted on NBC's website, and Trump's comments were widely interpreted as an admission of obstruction.

The Senate Intelligence Committee's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. However, it did reveal that members of Trump's campaign had frequent contact with individuals linked to the Russian government, creating "notable counterintelligence vulnerabilities." The report also identified Konstantin Kilimnik, a Ukrainian businessman with ties to Russia, who worked for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

While the Mueller Report did not establish criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, it outlined ten instances where the President possibly obstructed justice. Mueller stated that the report "does not exonerate" Trump but that charging a sitting president was not an option.

Trump's criticism of the media

In May 2017, President Trump gave an exclusive interview with NBC News' Lester Holt, in which he discussed his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey. Trump's comments in the interview were deemed politically and legally problematic by some, as he revealed that he fired Comey due to the Russia probe, contradicting the official White House statement that Comey was fired based on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Trump and his allies have also waged a legal campaign against media organisations, filing lawsuits that experts warn are intended to stifle dissent and potentially put media outlets out of business. Trump has sued media organisations for defamation and incorrect reporting, seeking hefty sums in damages. These lawsuits have a chilling effect on the media, as even unsuccessful court actions can be costly and act as a deterrent to speaking out.

The media's response to Trump's criticism has been mixed. Some journalists have defended their reporting and pushed back against Trump's accusations, while others have self-reflected and criticised their own industry. Brian Williams, a former broadcast television host and anchor, criticised the media for using "lazy, numbing and normalising" language when reporting on Trump, while Don Lemon, a former CNN host, argued that the press treats Trump "like just another political figure" instead of acknowledging the danger of his rhetoric and actions.

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