Former FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington for three hours on June 8, and for that duration Comey fielded questions from seventeen U.S. senators, oftentimes unable to dignify them with responses due to the classified nature of some and refusing to give his personal opinions regarding Trump's potential obstruction by leaving that to special counsel Robert Mueller's discretion.

"As I sit here right now, I don't know," was another among his popular responses, as Comey spoke with candor — while also understandably erring on the side of caution, following not only the opening statements he released the previous Wednesday regarding his "very disturbing, very concerning" interactions with President Donald Trump, but also some of the more inflammatory ones he made during the hearing.

"Those were lies, plain and simple," Comey said of Trump's remarks that the FBI was in disarray and that FBI agents had lost confidence in their director. Adding, "And I am so sorry that the FBI work force had to hear them and I am so sorry that the American people were told them."

One more time: the former director of the nation's easily most known federal intelligence agency called the president out as a liar, despite the blowback he has received in the past on numerous accounts from both political parties, the public and the media — and the criticism he is sure to receive now.

He additionally claimed that Trump and his administration were intent on defaming him following his swift firing on May 9, as the reasons behind his termination continued to change — first citing his actions during the Clinton email investigation, though Comey believes it was ultimately due to the "Russia investigation" and his involvement.

It is important to note that Comey repeatedly confirmed there was no personal investigation on Trump himself at the time of Comey's termination — though as per his previously released statements in which he detailed every meeting he had with Trump, the president said to him on February 14, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go," an incident many are raising an eyebrow at in relation to the former FBI director's sudden firing.

While not a threat or an instruction in so many words, Comey was understandably stunned, and agreed that Flynn — or former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn —was a good guy, though he insisted he did so with his own implication that he did not plan to cease investigations on Flynn's Russian ties (also important to note: the "subject of criminal inquiry," according to Comey, was perjury and deception).

A few on the SIC berated Comey for not reacting to the situation in such a way as to directly discourage not only the matter of their discussion, but also the manner: an inappropriate one-on-one in the Oval Office before which Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions (and Comey's then-superior) to leave the room. Comey said he knew at the time the conversation was going to be "something big" based on that action.

While his firing technically came three months after the conversation, it was preceded by two phone calls: one on March 30, the other (his last time speaking to Trump) on April 11.

On March 30 Trump asked Comey "what he could do to lift the cloud," referring to the Russia investigation as a cloud that was bearing down on his ability to act on behalf of the U.S. He then stressed the importance of publicly announcing to the people that he himself was not under investigation, but that if there were "satellite" associates of his that had been involved, "it would be good to find them out." Comey replied that he would "see what he could do," afterwards calling Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente (as Sessions had recused himself) for further instruction as he would then decide how to proceed.

On April 11 Comey received another call during which Trump asked him what he had done with regard to announcing he was not under investigation, to which the director advised the president to take the same course of action as he had by calling the Acting Deputy Attorney General.

By Comey's account:

He said he would do that and added, "Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing you know." I did not reply or ask him what he meant by "that thing." I said only that the way to handle it was to have the White House Counsel call the Acting Deputy Attorney General. He said that was what he would do and the call ended.

Comey explained in the hearing that not only was he awaiting guidance, but he never publicly exonerated Trump as that would have potentially led to a "duty to correct."

The first memo he recorded, however, was on January 6, immediately following a private briefing at Trump Tower over intelligence on Russian interference during the election.

When asked by Vice Chairman of the SIC Mark Warner (R-VA) what compelled him to begin taking down detailed notes of these interactions, Comey responded, "A combination of things. I think the circumstances, the subject matter and the nature of the person I was interacting with."

Furthermore:

"Circumstances: first, I was alone with the President of the United States, or the President-elect, soon to be president. The subject matter: I was talking about matters that touch on the FBI’s core responsibility and that relate to the President-elect personally. And then the nature of the person. I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, and so I thought it really important to document. That combination of things I had never experienced before, but it led me to believe I got to write it down, and I got to write it down in a very detailed way."

Senator Warner responded: "I think that's a very important statement you made."

Especially considering Comey, in all his years, only met with President George W. Bush once to address a serious national security concern, and twice with President Barack Obama to address racial tensions between the public and law enforcement and then to say goodbye at the end of the Obama administration — while feeling no need to take notes on any of those encounters.

He also admitted to giving these memos to his friend and adviser at Columbia Law School, Daniel C. Richman, to leak the contents of to the press in his stead, in the hopes that the release would prompt the appointment of a special counsel (it did).

This revelation has stirred controversy, as Richman is now seems to be in possession of copies of those memos which the special counsel will need in order to conduct a complete and thorough investigation. However, despite the fact the memos were written on a classified laptop in a classified vehicle, the documents themselves are unclassified, carefully crafted by Comey not to contain classified information. Still, members of the SIC were keen to question why Comey did not release them himself, and again, why he did not react in certain ways (namely with more courage and conviction) to the situations described within them.

"Lordy, I hope there's tapes," was also the former FBI director's response at the hearing to Trump's infamous tweet following said leaks (which was another factor that prompted Comey to spring a leak).

Comey continually stressed the importance of bipartisanship in a time where, he directly confirmed, there was Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and that to his knowledge, the threat was still ongoing. While a division of the American people may consequentially be inclined to write this hearing off as a waste of time, possibly due to party differences, what information was gleaned and the implications of it ring louder than any personal opinions or feelings.

Take Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)'s line of questioning about "possible secret contacts between the Trump camp and Russian officials," throughout which Comey was virtually unable to answer many of her inquiries on the basis they could not be addressed in the open session.

The implications of his silence speak volumes, especially when paired with the information that of tens of thousands of FBI investigations, Donald Trump continued only to concern himself with one in particular: Russia.

Whichever shade this paints Trump in, it is certainly sobering for many Americans, but for now we will be left only to speculate as we wait outside the closed session (where hopefully many of the questions Comey could not touch upon will be answered). It is, however, of the utmost importance that everyone remain informed. Comey mentioned time and again that the reporters, given that they do not have clearance into classified matters, do get facts wrong (see this New York Times article he specifically cited), which makes moments like this hearing all the more important for everyone to be knowledgeable about.

As for those who are not American citizens, the U.S. has been a global superpower since approximately the late 1800s — though as a concerned citizen myself, with the institutional racism and systematic oppression we still struggle with, the discrimination against immigrants seeking refuge and a better life, the recent unwillingness to cooperate in an agreement that could change the planet's health for the better, it seems to me that we are slipping from the top spot now more than ever. I'm sure that is not lost on anyone who has been keeping up, but even so it cannot be disputed that our influence still reaches many, politically and culturally, and during this time everyone should make themselves aware of the significance of this shaky ground we find ourselves on — and its consequences.

We have the freedom and the forum to disagree, and while it may be a tall order to ask the parties and the people to temporarily set aside their differences, it is imperative that we do try if we want to ensure that we will always have that freedom and forum — but most importantly, liberty and justice for all.