- Title: Trump says he did not record conversations with former FBI Director Comey
- Date: 22nd June 2017
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 9, 2017) (REUTERS) TRUMP AND ROMANIAN PRESIDENT KLAUS IOHANNIS WALKING TOWARDS LECTERN IN ROSE GARDEN REPORTER ASKING QUESTION WHETHER TAPES EXIST OF HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH COMEY (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING: "Well, I'll tell you about that sometime in the near future. No collusion, no obstruction. He's a leaker. But we want to get back to running our great country." WIDE SHOT NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 6th July 2017 19:15
- Keywords: Donald Trump former FBI director James Comey tapes Twitter Russia investigation White House Sarah Huckabee Sanders audio
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES / INTERNET
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES / INTERNET
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0076MD32H3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (June 22) he did not make and does not possess any tapes of his conversations with James Comey, after suggesting last month that he might have recordings that could damage the former FBI director.
"With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea whether there are 'tapes' or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings," Trump wrote on Twitter.
Lawmakers investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. 2016 election had asked the White House for any such recordings of Comey, who Trump fired in May.
Shortly after dismissing Comey, Trump mentioned the possibility of tapes in a Twitter post.
"James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump wrote on Twitter on May 12.
The Russia issue has cast a shadow over Trump's first five months in office, distracting from attempts by his fellow Republicans in Congress to reform the U.S. healthcare and tax systems.
Comey's firing and its aftermath caused a political firestorm. He testified before a Senate committee that Trump had asked him to drop a probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and his alleged ties to Russia.
Trump has privately told aides that the threat of the existence of tapes forced Comey to tell the truth in his recent testimony, a source familiar with the situation said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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