Trump said he will be willing to testify under oath about what he said to James Comey.
WASHINGTON — A day after James Comey accused him of lying, President Trump returned the favor Friday and said he would testify under oath to dispute the ex-FBI director’s claims that he wanted him to drop the Russia election investigation.
There was “no collusion, no obstruction” of justice, Trump said during a joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, adding that Comey is “a leaker” to boot.
Trump denied Comey’s testimony that the president asked him to let go of an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn — “I didn’t say that” — and denied the former director’s claim that he asked him for a pledge of personal loyalty.
Asked if he would repeat his claims about Comey under oath to special counsel Robert Mueller, Trump said: “100%.”
Tapes could resolve the dispute, but Trump against refused to say whether they exist, telling reporters he would do so “maybe sometime in the very near future.”
As his attorneys and aides have since Comey’s testimony, Trump said the ex-FBI chief vindicated his claim that Comey told him on three occasions he was not under investigation over possible collusion with Russians who hacked into last year’s election. While disputing Comey’s testimony, Trump castigated the entire hearing as “just an excuse” for Democrats to blame their election loss on a false narrative about Russia.
Trump ignored a question on how he could accuse Comey of lying on one hand, and being truthful on the other.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers and other critics say Comey’s clams that Trump leaned on him to somehow drop the Russia investigation could amount to an obstruction of justice.
“I think he abused power, ” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Whether he obstructed justice remains for the facts to come forward.”
Comey’s high-profile testimony also has turned part of the spotlight on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is expected to be questioned about Russia next week when he appears before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.
Recounting a Feb. 14 White House meeting where Trump pressed the director to drop the FBI’s inquiry into Flynn, Comey said a decision was made not to report the incident to Sessions. At the time, Comey said, the attorney general was weighing his recusal from all matters related to the Russia investigation — largely for his failure to acknowledge two previous meetings with the Russian ambassador during his January confirmation hearing — and for other “facts’ ’ the former director said he could not disclose in a public session.
“We also were aware of facts that I can’ t discuss in an open setting that would make (Sessions’ ) continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic,’ ’ Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday.
Sessions indeed recused himself from the Russia investigation weeks later. The facts that Comey declined to disclose appears to refer to an ongoing inquiry over whether Sessions failed to disclose a third meeting with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, during a April campaign event for then-presidential candidate Trump.
Last week, Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Al Franken of Minnesota acknowledged that they had pressed the FBI on three separate occasions last year to look into a possible third meeting involving Sessions and Kislyak.
The Justice Department has denied that a third meeting occurred.
“I have sought for months to clarify Attorney General Sessions’ contacts with Russian officials following his false testimony in response to questions from me and from Sen. Franken, ” Leahy said following Comey’s Thursday Senate testimony. “We wrote to the FBI requesting that they investigate such matters. I am also deeply concerned about the Attorney General’s role in firing Director Comey in light of his recusal from the Russia investigation.”
Trump did not mention the Russia probe during an infrastructure speech Friday at the U. S. Transportation Department, but did say he wants people in public service to “rise above the petty partisan squabbling that plagues our nation” and focus on fixing problems.
After staying off Twitter during Comey’s testimony on Thursday, Trump began Friday with a sharp critique of the man he fired last month.
“Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication…and WOW, Comey is a leaker!” Trump tweeted.
In his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said he believes Trump fired him over the Russia probe, and he accused the White House of lying about the details of the dismissal. He also admitted that he had leaked to the press memos describing his talks with Trump, saying he hoped the stories would spur the appoint of a special counsel to take over the investigation of the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia, which is what happened.
Comey said he leaked information partly in response to a Trump tweet in which the president appeared to threaten him and suggested there might be tapes of their conversations. While Comey said he would welcome the release of tapes, Trump and aides refuse to say whether such tapes exist.
The former FBI director also appeared to confirm Trump’s statements that, on three occasions, Comey told the president he was not personally under investigation with regard to Russia.
Trump and aides referenced those comments in claiming vindication, but some officials said Comey’s statements that Trump leaned on him to drop the Russia investigation could add up to obstruction of justice.
As for Trump’s tweet attack on Comey, Pelosi said no one at the White House appears to be “brave enough” to tell the president that his tweets are “beneath the dignity of the office you serve.”
She added: “The president’s fitness for office is something that has been called into question … I’m very worried about his fitness.”
The former FBI director testified that he kept notes on his meetings with the president because he was concerned Trump might lie about the nature of their conversations. These were the notes he asked a friend to leak to the press.
