No tapes of President Trump’s conversations with James Comey exist

Almost immediately after he fired FBI Director James Comey, President Donald Trump tweeted “James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” That tweet fueled speculation on the part of the media, Congress and the public as to whether or not the president had a taping system in the White House and if he was in fact taping conversations of his guests.

Being questioned on that point, President Trump refused to say whether or not there were any tapes. But he did say that sometime in the near future he’d eventually let us all know. On June 22, the president fessed up and tweeted that he did not tape his conversations with Comey. Always the showman though, the president left open the possibility that recordings he didn’t make still might exist when he today tweeted:

With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea whether there are “tapes” or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings.

One of the reasons why some hoped that those tapes did exist would be to determine whether or not the president asked for a loyalty pledge from the then FBI Director. Comey said that the president asked for his loyalty during a January dinner meeting at the White House, while the president denied ever asking that of the former FBI Director. While testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month, Comey said while under oath “Lordy, I hope there are tapes,” according to USA Today.