“Ever since FBI Director James B. Comey launched an expanding Russia investigation, Trump has been consumed, haunted and antagonized by thoughts of Comey, slamming the probe as a ‘witch hunt.’
“On Thursday, Comey will have a nationally televised platform during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, where some predict he will repudiate the president.
“The president’s lawyers and aides have been urging Trump to resist engaging, but privately, they say they are bracing for a worst-case scenario.
“Interviews with 20 White House officials, Trump friends and other well-connected Republicans reveal Trump’s mind-set and the preparations of his team in the run-up to a hearing that is expected to be historic.”
