Trump denies Comey accusation ready to respond under oath
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he tried to block an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, effectively accusing James Comey, the FBI's former director, of lying under oath to Congress.
Comey delivered scathing remarks about the president on Thursday at a congressional hearing and testified that Trump had asked him to drop a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into former aide Michael Flynn and his alleged ties to Russia.
Trump says Comey's testimony also vindicated him from allegations that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
"James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said. And some of the things that he said just weren't true," Trump said at an event in the White House Rose Garden.
Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, "I didn't say that."
The reporter then asked, "So he lied about that?"
"Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that," Trump replied. "And there would be nothing wrong if I did say it according to everybody that I've read today, but I did not say that," he said.
In his testimony, Comey also said Trump asked him in January to pledge loyalty to the president, an unusual request that would put in doubt the independence of the FBI.
"I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?" Trump said at joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he tried to block an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, effectively accusing James Comey, the FBI's former director, of lying under oath to Congress.
Comey delivered scathing remarks about the president on Thursday at a congressional hearing and testified that Trump had asked him to drop a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into former aide Michael Flynn and his alleged ties to Russia.
Trump says Comey's testimony also vindicated him from allegations that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
"James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said. And some of the things that he said just weren't true," Trump said at an event in the White House Rose Garden.
Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, "I didn't say that."
The reporter then asked, "So he lied about that?"
"Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that," Trump replied. "And there would be nothing wrong if I did say it according to everybody that I've read today, but I did not say that," he said.
In his testimony, Comey also said Trump asked him in January to pledge loyalty to the president, an unusual request that would put in doubt the independence of the FBI.
"I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?" Trump said at joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
MSN
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