US President Donald Trump, while addressing media on Friday, rubbished ex-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey’s statement that the former had instructed the latter to let go of the investigation surrounding former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
“I didn’t say that. I will tell you that I didn’t say that,” said Trump, when asked if Comey lied about Trump intervening in the Flynn probe.
The American head of state, who was speaking alongside his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis in White House’s Rose Garden, highlighted his willingness to provide under oath his version of events described by Comey earlier, saying he will “100 percent” do so.
“I’ll be glad to tell [Robert Mueller] exactly what I just told you,” Trump said when a reporter inquired what he would tell the Special Counsel investigating allegations that Russia interfered with the 2016 US presidential election and colluded with the current President’s campaign.
Comey and the congressional hearing
Comey, who was fired by Trump in May, this year, delivered a scathing indictment of the president on Thursday at a congressional hearing. He accused the businessman-turned-President of trying to block the investigation into Flynn.
The former top FBI official also said Trump asked him in January to pledge loyalty to the president, an unusual request that would put in doubt the intelligence and security service’s independence.
In the congressional hearing, Comey did not disclose any links between Trump advisers and alleged Russian meddling. He did testify that Trump told him on January 26 that he expected loyalty from the FBI director and urged him to drop the probe into Flynn the next month.
Comey’s testimony added fuel to critics’ accusations that Trump’s actions around the Russia probe might have amounted to obstruction of justice.
Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication…and WOW, Comey is a leaker!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2017
‘Leaker’
Trump expressed incredulity at the allegations and went on to say that he “hardly know(s) that man; I’m not gonna say I want [Comey] to pledge allegiance”, adding that “it doesn’t make sense.”
However, Trump called Comey “a leaker”, explaining that there’s “no collusion, no obstruction” in the meanwhile. As for recordings of the conversations in question, the US President commented he was not providing hints about anything, but will let the world know “about it over a very short period of time”.
Trump on Friday wrote on Twitter that the former FBI director had vindicated him by telling the Senate Intelligence Committee that the president had not been personally under investigation in the Russia probe. (Reuters)
