President Trump said Friday he would be "100 percent" willing to testify under oath to contradict portions of former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. While speaking at a joint press conference at the White House alongside Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Trump insisted that he did not push Comey to "let go" of the investigation into ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, nor did he ask for a pledge of "loyalty" from the former FBI director.
Trump offered to testify after ABC News' Jonathan Karl pressed Trump on his claims that Comey had made several untrue statements during his testimony Thursday. Because Comey testified under oath, Trump's denial of Comey's statements equates to an accusation of perjury.
Trump's statement Friday afternoon marked the second time he has essentially accused Comey of lying under oath, after tweeting Friday morning that Comey had made "so many false statements and lies." Regardless, Trump said the hearing was "total and complete vindication," a refrain he repeated later that day when he said Comey had "confirmed a lot of what" he's been saying. "No collusion. No obstruction. He's a leaker," Trump said of Comey.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When asked Friday if there are "tapes" of his conversations with Comey, Trump demurred, saying he'd answer the question "in the near future."
-
Political cartoons for December 13Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include saving healthcare, the affordability crisis, and more
-
Farage’s £9m windfall: will it smooth his path to power?In Depth The record donation has come amidst rumours of collaboration with the Conservatives and allegations of racism in Farage's school days
-
The issue dividing Israel: ultra-Orthodox draft dodgersIn the Spotlight A new bill has solidified the community’s ‘draft evasion’ stance, with this issue becoming the country’s ‘greatest internal security threat’
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
