On January 6th, Comey sends others away so he can meet alone with Trump and that is perfectly acceptable and appropriate.
However, President’s Trump’s decision to meet with Comey alone on January 27th and February 14th was either peculiar or completely inappropriate.
Riiiight.
To really put the implied Comey rationalization--that he was trying to protect the institution from improper pressure from the President--into perspective, one must recognize the obvious, incontrovertible fact: As President, Donald Trump could pardon General Flynn for any infraction--just as Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon; just as Clinton & Obama pardoned people who most of us would have allowed to rot. (I am not suggesting in any way that Ford was not right to pardon Richard Nixon. I certainly would have done the same.)
Viewed in the context of this reality, there is no rational reason to view an expression of "hope" from the President, on behalf of General Flynn, as anything more serious than a frank courtesy to Comey. That Comey--who admitted to being intimidated by Loretta Lynch!--saw it as some sort of threat, is a sorry commentary on Comey, not the President.
Conservative activists should point out the key factor--the absolute right of the President to pardon--at every opportunity, until those trying to make a mountain out of a courtesy crawl back under their rocks!