Trump, who now says he doesn't know Matt Whitaker, said last month, 'I know Matt Whitaker'

President Trump's claim Friday that he barely knows his new acting attorney general is being debunked — by President Trump.

Trump on Friday insisted to reporters that he only chose Matthew Whitaker as the acting attorney general after forcing ex-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign because he has an "excellent" reputation. This was despite the fact that multiple sources like The New York Times and The Washington Post have reported that Trump and Whitaker have met in the Oval Office many times and that Trump really likes him. "I don't know Matt Whitaker," Trump said Friday.

But just last month, Trump said precisely the opposite, when he spoke to Fox & Friends on Oct. 11. "I can tell you, Matt Whitaker's a great guy," he said. "I mean, I know Matt Whitaker." Trump during this same interview denied that there were behind-the-scenes discussions about replacing Sessions with Whitaker, something that would end up taking place less than a month after the interview. Watch Trump's comments below. Brendan Morrow

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up