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WASHINGTON — Only sevendays after Donald J. Trump wassworn in as president, James B.Comey has told associates, theF.B.I. director was summoned tothe White House for a one-on-onedinner with the new commanderin chief.

The conversation that night inJanuary, Mr. Comey now believes,was a harbinger of his downfallthis week as head of the F.B.I., ac-cording to two people who haveheard his account of the dinner.

As they ate, the president andMr. Comey made small talk aboutthe election and the crowd sizes atMr. Trump’s rallies. The presidentthen turned the conversation towhether Mr. Comey would pledgehis loyalty to him.

Mr. Comey declined to makethat pledge. Instead, Mr. Comeyhas recounted to others, he toldMr. Trump that he would alwaysbe honest with him, but that hewas not “reliable” in the conven-tional political sense.

The White House says this ac-count is not correct. And Mr.Trump, in an interview on Thurs-day with NBC, described a far dif-ferent dinner conversation withMr. Comey in which the directorasked to have the meeting and thequestion of loyalty never came up.It was not clear whether he wastalking about the same meal, butthey are believed to have had onlyone dinner together.

By Mr. Comey’s account, his an-swer to Mr. Trump’s initial ques-tion apparently did not satisfy thepresident, the associates said.Later in the dinner, Mr. Trumpagain said to Mr. Comey that heneeded his loyalty.

Mr. Comey again replied that hewould give him “honesty” and didnot pledge his loyalty, according tothe account of the conversation.

But Mr. Trump pressed him onwhether it would be “honest loy-alty.”

“You will have that,” Mr. Comeytold his associates he responded.

Throughout his career, Mr.Trump has made loyalty from thepeople who work for him a key pri-ority, often discharging employ-ees he considers insufficiently re-liable.

As described by the two people,the dinner offers a window intoMr. Trump’s approach to the presi-dency, through Mr. Comey’s eyes.A businessman and reality televi-sion star who never served in pub-

Loyalty Vow Soughtat a Private Dinner

By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT

Continued on Page A19

LONDON — From a sky-scraper in Canary Wharf, theonce-bustling cluster of dockstransformed into a global bankingcenter, traders at Citigroup’s re-gional headquarters move unfath-omable sums of money around theplanet. They are exploiting Lon-don’s unrivaled connections to theintricate plumbing of the interna-tional financial system.

Now the flow of money is indoubt, imperiling London’s for-tunes.

Many of the transactions Citi-group oversees here are depend-ent on Britain’s inclusion in theEuropean Union. Italian bankstap London’s vast pools of moneyto strengthen tattered balancesheets. German manufacturersborrow funds for expansion.Swiss money managers ply theirfortunes. Citigroup and otherglobal banks manage much of thisactivity, executing trades, and en-suring that money lands where itis supposed to, leaning heavily ontheir London operations.

In March, Prime Minister The-resa May set in motion Britain’s

pending divorce from the Euro-pean Union, starting talks withEurope to resolve future dealingsacross the English Channel. Thenegotiations come with a two-year deadline. If no agreement isstruck — an outcome that cannotbe discounted — Britain’s rela-tionship with the European mar-ketplace would be thrown intochaos.

Brexit Imperils Fortunes of the Planet’s BankerBy PETER S. GOODMAN

Outside the Royal Exchange. The finance industry employs over 1.1 million people in Britain.ANDREW TESTA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Continued on Page A10

LOSING LONDON

Financial Capital

ARLINGTON, Va. — Before Staff Sgt. MarkDe Alencar shipped out to Afghanistan in Feb-ruary, he planned a family homecoming forhis scheduled return in May.

There was to be a birthday party for his 13-year-old daughter. Then his 17-year-olddaughter’s high school graduation, followedby the family’s first visit to Disneyland.

“Mark always planned a super family eventwhen he came back,” his wife, Natasha, re-called. “And we were there every time to hughim and welcome him home.”

On Wednesday, six days before her hus-band was supposed to return home, his wifeand five children gathered instead for his fu-neral. A caisson pulled by white Percheronscarried the fallen soldier’s coffin, draped witha flag, to his family, past the long, straight

rows of marble headstones emblematic of Ar-lington National Cemetery.

Three rifle volleys rang out from a seven-man firing party. A solitary bugler soundedtaps. The flag was lifted from the coffin,folded, and presented by a brigadier generalto Mrs. De Alencar. Other flags were pre-sented to each child, and to Sergeant De Alen-car’s mother and his father, an Army veteranwho inspired his son to enter military service.

Sergeant De Alencar, a Special Forces sol-dier, was killed by small-arms fire in easternAfghanistan on April 8 while fighting IslamicState militants. He was the first American

killed in combat in Afghanistan this year.He fought and died in a war that most

Americans say is not worth fighting, accord-ing to some polls. It is a war that seemed to beover in 2014, when President Barack Obamaannounced the end of the original UnitedStates combat mission.

Natasha De Alencar lost her husband in awar that even six years ago, just a quarter ofAmericans said they followed closely, accord-ing to a Pew Research Center survey. It hasbecome America’s forgotten war,overshadowed by the fight against the IslamicState in Iraq and Syria, even as the IslamicState gains a foothold in Afghanistan.

“Honestly, I thought the war was over be-fore Mark got sent there,” said Mrs. De Alen-car’s sister Alisha Brown.

For military families like the De Alencars,war is an enduring fact of life and a constant

When the Wife of a Soldier Hears a Knock at the Front DoorBy DAVID ZUCCHINO

Natasha De Alencar, with her sister, Alisha Brown, left, looking into the coffin of her husband, Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar.TODD HEISLER/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Continued on Page A14

A Sacrifice in a Conflict ManyAmericans Have Forgotten

Brigitte Macron, 64 to her husband’s 39,has raised eyebrows and set off cheersas his sounding board and critic. PAGE A12

INTERNATIONAL A4-12

France’s Future First Lady

Snap’s turbulent first few months as apublic company are sending a caution-ary signal to investors and start-upexecutives. PAGE B1

BUSINESS DAY B1-8

Snap Shows I.P.O. PitfallsThe exhibition “Drones” explores thehistory of these gadgets. A review byWilliam Grimes. PAGE C13

WEEKEND ARTS C1-26

From Lindbergh to Lady Gaga

A pineapple on display at an exhibitionwas meant as a prank, but it started adebate on the meaning of art. PAGE A4

This Art Is EdibleTo test the effects of climate change,scientists in Australia built simple oceanecosystems in big vats of water. PAGE A15

It’s a Small, Warm World

James Staley has energized Barclays,but faces questions about his judgment,James B. Stewart writes. PAGE B1

New Tumult Atop Barclays Art and attraction intertwine in myste-rious ways in the series “I Love Dick.”A review by James Poniewozik. PAGE C1

When Men Are Muses

In Spain, where women’s soccer lags,the all-girls team AEM Lleida won thetitle in a 13-team boys’ league. PAGE B9

SPORTSFRIDAY B9-13

Boys’ League Title Goes to Girls

The Masters champion Sergio Garcíaprizes relationships, and his most im-portant one is with his fiancée. PAGE B9

Finding Love, Then Success

WASHINGTON — PresidentTrump offered a new version ofhis decision to fire James B.Comey, saying on Thursday thathe would have dismissed the F.B.I.director regardless of whether theattorney general and his deputyrecommended it.

It was just the latest in a seriesof statements, some of them con-tradictory, to whiplash Washing-ton over 48 hours that began withMr. Comey’s firing on Tuesdayevening. And it was unusuallyharsh: Mr. Trump castigated Mr.Comey as “a showboat” and “agrandstander,” suggesting thathis issues with the F.B.I. directorwent beyond any previouslystated concerns.

Mr. Trump said on Thursdaythat he had not relied solely on theadvice from the Justice Depart-ment’s top two leaders in making

his decision. And, for the firsttime, he explicitly referenced theF.B.I.’s investigation into his ad-ministration’s ties to Russia in de-fending Mr. Comey’s firing.

“And in fact, when I decided tojust do it, I said to myself, I said,‘You know, this Russia thing withTrump and Russia is a made-upstory,’” Mr. Trump told LesterHolt of NBC News. “It’s an excuseby the Democrats for having lostan election that they should havewon.”

Earlier, the White House hadsaid that Mr. Trump acted only af-ter Attorney General Jeff Sessionsand the deputy attorney general,Rod J. Rosenstein, came to himand recommended that Mr.Comey be dismissed because ofhis handling of last year’s investi-gation into Hillary Clinton’s email.In his Tuesday letter terminatingMr. Comey, Mr. Trump said he had“accepted their recommenda-tion.” And Vice President Mike

President Shifts RationaleFor Firing F.B.I. Director,Calling Him a ‘Showboat’

Official Versions ofEvents Unraveling

By PETER BAKERand MICHAEL D. SHEAR

Continued on Page A19

Rod J. RosensteinAL DRAGO/THE NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON — The actingdirector of the F.B.I. contradictedthe White House on two major is-sues on Thursday: the support ofrank-and-file agents for the firedF.B.I. chief James B. Comey andthe importance of the agency’s in-vestigation into Russian electioninterference.

In a striking repudiation of offi-cial White House statements, theacting director, Andrew G. Mc-Cabe, said the inquiry was “highlysignificant” and pledged to theSenate Intelligence Committeethat the F.B.I. would resist any at-tempt to influence or hobble theinvestigation.

“Simply put,” he said, “you can-not stop the men and women ofthe F.B.I. from doing the rightthing.”

That Mr. McCabe felt compelledto assert the F.B.I.’s independencewas itself remarkable, a byprod-uct of the unusually public effort

by Mr. Trump and his aides to takefocus off the investigations intoRussia’s election meddling. Healso said the F.B.I. investigationhad the resources it needed,partly disputing an account thatMr. Comey had sought more aid.

Mr. McCabe did not hesitate tomake clear where Mr. Comeystood in the eyes of F.B.I. agentsand employees.

“Director Comey enjoyed broadsupport within the F.B.I. and stilldoes,” he said, adding that “thevast majority of F.B.I. employeesenjoyed a deep and positive con-nection to Director Comey.”

A spokeswoman for the presi-dent, Sarah Huckabee Sanders,disputed agents’ support for Mr.Comey for a second straight day,saying she had heard from “count-less members of the F.B.I. that aregrateful and thankful for the presi-dent’s decision.”

At Hearing, Acting F.B.I. ChiefContradicts White House Claims

By ADAM GOLDMAN and MATTHEW ROSENBERG

Continued on Page A18

Inspired by the Barbie doll’s success,Stan Weston designed a line of militaryaction figures. He was 84. PAGE B15

OBITUARIES B14-15

Man Who Gave Us G.I. JoePaul Krugman PAGE A29

EDITORIAL, OP-ED A28-29

Joseph Ponte, who was ap-pointed by Mayor Bill de Blasiothree years ago to end the chaos atRikers Island, is expected to stepdown as correction commissioneron Friday, according to peoplewith knowledge of his plans.

The decision came amid a swirlof revelations about mismanage-ment and dysfunction at the high-est levels of New York City’s jailagency.

He has chosen to leave eventhough Mr. de Blasio has repeat-edly defended him in recentweeks in the face of calls for hisresignation over a series of appar-ent ethical lapses. Two recent cityinvestigations accused him of mis-using his city vehicle, spendingextended periods out of stateaway from his job overseeing thejails and failing to notify city offi-cials about an effort by his inter-nal affairs staff to spy on city in-vestigators.

Mr. Ponte, 70, had planned to re-tire in the next several months,one of the people said, but decidedto leave sooner because the grow-ing scandals had become a dis-traction.

His resignation will be seen bysome as a tacit admission that Mr.de Blasio’s heralded effort to re-imagine and eventually close Rik-ers, a centerpiece of his politicalagenda, has stalled months before

Facing Critics,City Jails ChiefIs Set to Resign

By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZand WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM

Continued on Page A27

Profits from high-interest store-brandedcredit cards are buoying retailers in atough time, even as they mask the fullextent of the industry’s pain. PAGE A16

NATIONAL A13-22

Retailing’s Plastic Panacea

The use of assault-style weapons hasbecome an unsettling subplot in the taleof Chicago’s long-running struggle withgun and gang violence. PAGE A13

High-Powered Gun Threat

Late Edition

VOL. CLXVI . . . No. 57,595 © 2017 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017

Today, mostly cloudy, cool, high 59.Tonight, cloudy, periodic rain to-ward dawn, low 50. Tomorrow, rainbecoming heavy, some flooding,high 54. Weather map, Page A23.

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