A key point here is that Trump saying he hoped Comey can let this go could just be Trump’s emotional response to the investigation of Flynn—just Trump’s feeling about it. That kind of statement is not necessarily a direction to Comey or the FBI. It all depends on perception.
Perhaps Comey’s perception was that it was the way
things were done in the Obama administration, no
direct orders just perception.
Lankford (OK-R) is doing a good job.