It was another turbulent week for U.S. President Donald Trump‘s administration.
The week began with the reaction to another terror attack in the U.K. and ended with the scorching testimony of former FBI director James Comey.
In short, there were plenty of events that kept Trump’s young presidency in the news.
June 8: James Comey testifies
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Stunning testimony from former FBI director James Comey -
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How is James Comey’s testimony playing in the U.S. media? -
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Comey says Trump requested to have dinner with him, called him -
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James Comey: Entire intelligence community confident Russia interfered in election -
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Comey explains why he recorded Trump meetings, but not other Presidents -
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Comey on why he told Trump he was not personally under investigation -
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Comey was ‘stunned’ by Trump’s request to drop Flynn investigation -
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Comey says he took Trump’s ‘hope’ on Flynn investigation as a request -
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Comey feared Trump would issue ‘non-truthful’ account of their meetings -
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James Comey explains why he re-opened Clinton email investigaton
For a moment on Thursday, Washington, D.C. and parts of the U.S. sat rapt as Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating alleged Russian ties to Trump’s presidential campaign.
Comey dropped one bombshell after another: he accused the White House of lying about why they fired him, and he said he wrote detailed memos about his conversations with Trump over fears the president would lie about their exchange.
“I knew there might come a day when I might need a record of what happened not only to defend myself but to protect the FBI,” Comey said.
READ MORE: James Comey leaked information to press days after Donald Trump tweet
He also admitted that he orchestrated the leak of information contained in some memos he wrote to the media after Trump tweeted, “James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”
“I woke up in the middle of the night on Monday night, because it didn’t dawn on me originally, that there might be corroboration for our conversation, there might be a tape,” Comey said.
The ex-FBI director also said there’s “no doubt” that Russia meddled in the U.S. election, but stopped short of saying Trump was guilty of trying to “obstruct justice.”
June 7: White House scrambles to undermine Comey
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Pro-Trump group labels James Comey ‘showboat’ in new ad -
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Donald Trump names new FBI Director on eve of James Comey testimony -
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Trump wishes Comey ‘luck’ ahead of testimony -
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‘I wish him luck: Trump on Comey’s testimony -
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What will President Trump be doing during Comey testimony? -
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Trump sons call Russia probe a ‘witch hunt,’ accuse Kathy Griffin of playing a ‘victim’
The Trump administration rushed to mitigate any damage ahead of Comey’s testimony.
A 30-second ad created by the pro-Trump Great America Alliance – a non-profit “issues” group that doesn’t have to disclose its donors – cast Comey as a “showboat” who was “consumed with election meddling” instead of focusing on fighting terrorism.
Trump also announced Comey’s replacement via Twitter, saying that he would nominate Christopher Wray as FBI director.
Speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity Tuesday night, Eric Trump said his father’s critics are “not even people.”
June 6: NSA leaker arrested
The Washington Post reported that Trump asked Dan Coats, his top intelligence official, to push the FBI probe away from Michael Flynn.
And The New York Times reported that Comey told Attorney General Jeff Sessions in February that he did not want to be alone with Trump. Comey believed it was the attorney general’s job to shield off the bureau from White House influence.
READ MORE: I don’t want to be left alone with Trump, ex-FBI boss told Sessions: reports
Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence contractor Reality Leigh Winner was arrested and charged with leaking a classified report after she was accused of providing a National Security Agency (NSA) document to investigative website The Intercept.
In Canada, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the Great White North could no longer depend on the U.S. or anyone else for protection, and would have to step up its military spending. The federal government subsequently announced it was increasing defence spending by an extra $14 billion over 10 years.
And in North Korea, the government scolded Trump for pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement.
June 5: it’s a ‘TRAVEL BAN!’
Early Monday, Trump fired off a series of tweets criticizing the Justice Department for its handling of his previous executive orders to temporarily bar would-be visitors from six Muslim-majority countries.
He made very clear that what he ordered was a “TRAVEL BAN!”
READ MORE: Donald Trump says he’s calling it a ‘TRAVEL BAN!’
Elsewhere, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue called on Canada to end what he called an “underhanded” dairy-pricing class that undermined sales from American farmers to Canadian processors.
And in the U.K., London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on the government to cancel Trump’s state visit after the U.S. president criticized his behaviour after a terror attack in the city.
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