Trump says James Comey’s testimony about Mike Flynn's probe is not true

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts during a news conference at the construction site of the Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office Building in Washington. — US President Donald Trump signed revised EO on immigration. Reuters/Jim Bourg

US President Donald Trump has disputed former FBI director James Comey’s statement about their dialogue concerning the probe of former national security adviser Mike Flynn. The latter testified that Trump urged him to ease off the probe around Flynn, but the US president said that was something he did not do.

“I will tell you I didn’t say that,” Trump said at a conference in the White House Rose Garden. The POTUS’ statement comes a day after the former FBI director testified before the US Senate intelligence committee. The president held a joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Trump said he would be willing to testify under oath to that effect. He said he can also be interviewed by the special counsel who investigates Trump associates’ ties to Russia, Robert Mueller.

On Friday, Trump called the testimony a “total and complete vindication” of him. Meanwhile, his allies sought to raise questions about the credibility of Comey, The Australian notes.

Comey refused to comment on whether he thought Trump was trying to block justice. He said the recently appointed special counsel would examine the matter.

Notes and tapes

Marc Kasowitz, Trump’s private lawyer, is reportedly planning to file a complaint with the Justice Department inspector-general, according to a person close to the POTUS’ legal team. Last week, the House of Representatives intelligence committee asked the White House counsel to specify if there are tapes of conversations between Trump and Comey.

When White House press secretary Sean Spicer was asked as to when the president would comment about the tapes' existence, he answered, “When he’s ready.” The president said during the news conference that he would comment about it in the “near future,” but clarified he was not hinting anything.

In a letter, the House intelligence committee asked Comey to submit notes of memorandums that have something to do with his conversations with the president. Daniel Richman, a Columbia University professor, was also asked by a bipartisan group of members of the Senate judiciary committee to turn over all copies of memos he possesses. Comey previously said he handed his memos to a friend, who was identified as Richman.

Meanwhile, the president’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is expected to have a private meeting with Senate intelligence committee staff. It is likely that he will answer questions about the committee’s investigation of Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election.

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