House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) claimed Thursday that President Trump just didn't know any better than to talk to former FBI Director James Comey about the ongoing investigation into his team's ties to Russia's election meddling.
Trump is "just new to this," Ryan insisted, and "wasn't steeped into the ongoing protocols" of what was appropriate to discuss with Comey. Ryan reiterated that the FBI director does need to act independently of the executive branch.
Ryan's defense of Trump came as Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on his conversations with Trump regarding the Russia probe. Comey revealed that Trump pushed him to pledge his "loyalty" and urged him to "let go" of the investigation into ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.