Skip to the story
All StoriesPoliticsConflict & SecurityBusiness & EconomyScience & TechHealthClimateMedia
All stories
Politics29 outlets ran this4 min read

Declassified FBI files reveal probe into Trump over Comey firing and Russia ties

The investigation, code-named 'Oxferd Comma,' was closed in 2019 without charges, documents released by the White House show

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 03: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after signing an executive order establishing the President's Military Spouse Commission in the Oval Office at the White House on August 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. The commission will advise the president about issues affecting military families and provide recommendations to improve quality of life and military readiness. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

What this story says

  • The FBI launched a counterintelligence probe in May 2017 into whether Donald Trump was acting as a Russian asset when he fired James Comey.
  • The investigation, code-named 'Oxferd Comma,' was linked to the Crossfire Hurricane probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign ties to Russia.
  • Declassified documents released by the White House show the FBI closed the probe on 9 April 2019 without filing charges.
  • An administration official said the theory that Trump acted as a Russian asset was not backed by evidence.

Who covered it

Left 21%(6)Centre 11%(3)Right 68%(19)

Percentages are shares of the 28 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 29 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

62/100

Craft

51/100

Hype

41/100

29 sources · methodology

Thin on the left so far

Only 6 of the 28 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.

This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.

The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation in May 2017 into whether Donald Trump was acting as a Russian asset when he fired FBI Director James Comey. The probe, code-named 'Oxferd Comma,' was linked to Crossfire Hurricane, the bureau’s inquiry into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign coordinated with Russia.

Declassified documents released by the White House on 5 August 2026 show the FBI closed the investigation on 9 April 2019 without filing charges. An administration official told CBS News the theory that Trump acted at Russia’s behest was not supported by evidence. Trump has repeatedly called the Russia investigations a 'hoax' and a 'witch hunt.'

The documents reveal FBI officials considered whether Trump fired Comey at Russia’s request. One declassified memo stated the bureau believed opening the investigation was 'the least intrusive method to address the serious national security risk posed by the activities alleged.'

What the coverage left out

None of the right-rated digests mentioned that the FBI’s investigation was closed without charges. None of the left-rated digests included the administration official’s statement that the theory lacked evidence. The centre-rated digests did not carry the detail that the FBI considered Trump’s firing of Comey a potential national security risk.

Tags:#TrumpRussiaProbe#FBIComeyInvestigation#DeclassifiedDocuments#USPolitics#Counterintelligence

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 6 Aug 2026, 00:45, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

6 rated outlets

  • The six left-rated digests led on the FBI’s investigation into whether Trump was acting as a Russian asset. The Daily Mirror’s full report described the probe as a 'bombshell' and quoted a declassified memo stating the FBI saw a 'serious national security risk.' Alternet framed the declassification as a 'new twist in Trump revenge plot.'
  • The Daily Mirror reported that FBI officials suspected Trump could have fired Comey 'at the behest of Russia.' IBTimes UK and La Opinion noted the FBI’s question of whether Trump acted 'wittingly or unwittingly' as a Russian asset. None of the left-rated digests omitted the fact that the investigation closed without charges.

Centre

3 rated outlets

  • The three centre-rated digests focused on the White House’s declassification of the FBI probe. CBS News led with the administration official’s statement that the theory of Trump acting as a Russian asset was not backed by evidence. Internewscast and Political Wire carried the same framing, noting the lack of evidence without additional commentary.

Right

19 rated outlets

  • The 18 right-rated digests led on the FBI’s use of 'debunked' or 'discredited' information to open the investigation. The Tennessee Star and Washington Times reported the FBI had 'little evidence' or 'overwhelming' evidence against the theory. The National Pulse and The Federalist described the probe as part of the 'Russia hoax.'
  • Fox News and the New York Post emphasised the counterintelligence angle, while RedState and TrendingPolitics framed the declassification as exposing the 'Russia hoax.' None of the right-rated digests quoted the declassified memo stating the FBI saw a 'serious national security risk.'

Read it at the source

29 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

6

Centre

3

Right

19
Show 11 more

Not rated

1

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

More in Politics

All Politics →
This composite shows work on the White House helipad, with a granite presidential seal being installed July 30, at left, and the seal being removed Tuesday, at right.4 min readTrump orders White House helipad rebuilt after criticising its slopeRead storyVance announces $230bn fraud task force findings and calls for tougher penalties4 min readVance announces $230bn fraud task force findings and calls for tougher penaltiesRead storyWNBA transgender debate centres on French player after Trump joke resurfaces4 min readWNBA transgender debate centres on French player after Trump joke resurfacesRead story

Elsewhere on the site

FBI expands crime-fighting cooperation with China and Russia under PatelConflict & Security•6 min readFBI expands crime-fighting cooperation with China and Russia under PatelWhite House seen from a window at the Washington Monument, in Washington, D.C., U.S.Business & Economy•5 min readWhite House to extend Jones Act waiver amid record fuel pricesUS reports progress in Hormuz shipping talks with Iran and OmanConflict & Security•4 min readUS reports progress in Hormuz shipping talks with Iran and Oman
Trump FBI Probe | MediaBias News