Sure, the way you put it is not likely to go anywhere. But the way CBS put it looks absolutely horrible. You seem to be totally ignoring what partially factual, but very misleading spin can do. Can you really not see how damaging CBS’s false claim that Trump “ordered Comey to publicly clear him of wrong doing” would look to people who are not Trump fans, not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and not willing to do extra research on the details (which I would imagine are most of CBS’s viewers)?
It makes it sound like Trump wanted Comey potentially to lie to the public and declare him innocent regardless of the situation, even if he’s guilty as hell. That’s why what CBS said is so very much worse than what Comey actually claimed.
I submit that inquiry is far afield from where we started. My reply "ignores" all sorts of ills in our society, from government to the press to education and even religion.
I'm no fan of the press (to put it mildly), but the public has to take responsibility for its own gullibility.