Donald Trump appeared momentarily on Friday afternoon at a joint news conference with Romanian President Iohannis. Taking a few questions after the joint appearance, Donald Trump went beyond his earlier position of praising James Comey’s testimony for the few Trump-friendly statements it contained and offered a summary of the former FBI director’s testimony that included things Comey never came close to saying.
"No collusion, no obstruction, he's a leaker.”
In addition to saying that Comey had said there was no collusion, a statement he didn’t come anywhere near, and no obstruction, a decision Comey said he would leave to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Trump went on to declare that Comey was not just a leaker, but a perjurer. Trump flatly denied that he had never said that he wanted Comey to end the investigation into Michael Flynn. And on the subject of Comey’s loyalty answered:
“I didn’t say that, I will tell you I didn’t say that, and there would be nothing wrong if I did say that.”
Asked if he would speak under oath, Trump launched into what started as a declaration but ended as a near-unintelligible ramble.
“One hundred percent. I didn't say, under oath, I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say 'I want you to pledge allegiance.' Who would do that? Who would ask a man to pledge allegiance under oath. And think of it. I hardly know the man. It doesn't make sense. No, I didn't say that and I didn't say the other.”
Trump then went on to be equally confusing about whether or not his conversations with Comey had been recorded … and to turn up the burners on a new Middle East war.
Asked about the tapes, Trump’s answer was clearly intended to leave the audience hanging under the next episode of Donald Trump, Hero President of So Many Wins.
"I'll tell you about that sometime in the very near future," Trump said.
Asked again, Trump said: "I'm not hinting anything. I will tell you over a very short period of time."
Also in this brief press conference, Trump repeated his charges against Qatar, calling it "a funder of terrorism at a very high level" and while he said there were other countries involved in the practice besides the tiny, besieged state, Trump declared “I won't name other countries.”