In a development that pretty much everyone in America could have foreseen except for, evidently, the President of the United States himself, Donald Trump's decision to abruptly terminate the FBI director who was leading an active investigation into the White House's potentially criminal conduct has been received, shall we say, poorly. And as more salacious details start to leak out about the decision-making process that has resulted in a sitting president casually using social media to threaten a potential witness, we've learned a decidedly grim lesson about how Donald Trump sees his role—and what to expect next time he senses a threat from within.

One of the more curious footnotes in the President's incoherent termination letter was that Trump claimed that Comey told him on "three separate occasions" that he was not under FBI investigation—an assertion that Comey associates called "literally farcical." Whatever was said during however many conversations they had, though, the New York Times has the scoop on a dinner to which Trump reportedly invited Comey in January. This meal sounds, to use a technical term, absolutely batshit.

As they ate, the president and Mr. Comey made small talk about the election and the crowd sizes at Mr. Trump’s rallies. The president then turned the conversation to whether Mr. Comey would pledge his loyalty to him.

Mr. Comey declined to make that pledge. Instead, Mr. Comey has recounted to others, he told Mr. Trump that he would always be honest with him, but that he was not "reliable" in the conventional political sense.

Call me crazy, but I wouldn't have thought that a top law enforcement official telling a president something like, "Well, I mean, I'm not a stooge, if that's what you're asking," would be a particularly controversial take, but apparently I would not be correct.

By Mr. Comey’s account, his answer to Mr. Trump’s initial question apparently did not satisfy the president, the associates said. Later in the dinner, Mr. Trump again said to Mr. Comey that he needed his loyalty.

What is this, some kind of delusional Godfather cosplay character Trump dreamed up before walking into the dining room? If he says no, I'll just pop my knuckles and sneer and lean in intimidatingly and say it AGAIN, but in a LOWER AND MORE THREATENING VOICE this time. Hohoho, I'll have this guy quaking in his gigantic boots!