President Donald Trump said Wednesday that if a foreign power offered dirt on his 2020 opponent, he’d be open to accepting it and that he’d have no obligation to call in the FBI.
“I think I’d want to hear it,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News, adding, “There’s nothing wrong with listening.”
The role of Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., in organizing a 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer offering negative information on Hillary Clinton was a focus of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian meddling in the last presidential campaign.
Mueller painstakingly documented Russian efforts to boost Trump’s campaign and undermine that of his Democratic rival. But while Mueller’s investigation didn’t establish a criminal conspiracy between Russia and Trump’s campaign, Trump repeatedly praised WikiLeaks in 2016 and celebrated information exposed by Russian hackers.
EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Trump tells @GStephanopoulos he wouldn't necessarily alert the FBI if approached by foreign figures with information on his 2020 opponent: "It’s not an interference. They have information. I think I’d take it." https://t.co/yWRxMOaFqW pic.twitter.com/qwLw53s5yc
— ABC News (@ABC) June 12, 2019
Several of Trump’s Democratic opponents in the 2020 race, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Kirsten Gillibrand, repeated their calls to begin impeachment hearings in the wake of the president’s latest remarks.
Trump’s comments came just a month after he pledged not to use information stolen by foreign adversaries in his 2020 reelection campaign, even as he wrongly insisted he hadn’t used such information to his benefit in 2016.
During a question-and-answer session with reporters in the Oval Office in May, Trump said he “would certainly agree to” that commitment.
“I don’t need it,” he said as he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. “All I need is the opponents that I’m looking at.”
Trump also insisted erroneously that he “never did use, as you probably know,” such information, adding: “That’s what the Mueller report was all about. They said no collusion.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers that Donald Trump Jr. should have called his agency to report the offer.
But Trump, who nominated Wray to the role in 2017, told ABC News that he disagrees. “The FBI director is wrong,” the president said. He added, “Life doesn’t work like that.”
Asked whether his advisers should accept information on an opponent from Russia, China or another nation or call the FBI this time, Trump said, “I think maybe you do both,” expressing openness to reviewing the information.
“I think you might want to listen,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called, from a country — Norway — we have information on your opponent. Oh, I think I’d want to hear it.”
(AP)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
8 Responses
He speaks the truth
In todays world people are shocked
by the truth
Well that exclamation pretty much meets the criteria for treason. WTG
> Amil Zola
You chose a name that represents just the opposite of what you have claimed. I can’t tell if you being sarcastic, but for those who would take you remark seriously, let’s take a look at the fictional TV series “24”. In it, the U.S. government finds out about an internal imminent Russian plot to overthrow (by armed rebellion by a political opponent) the sitting Russian President. Communication was difficult for whatever reason, so they (the U.S. First Lady) used their personal relationship with the Russian President (actually, with his wife) to warn him. I suppose the Russian FIrst Lady is guilty of treason for such “interference” by the U.S. government?
So you tell us, please, if this was the other way around and the Russian government found out about such an imminent plot against the President of the United States, would that also be treason to listen to what the Russian Government had to say?
And don’t give ant stupid response, such as refuse to listen to what they have to say but instead first “call the FBI”. For one thing, If one did not first hear what the topic was even about, then just what is it that one would even tell the FBI? “They wanted to talk to me but I refused”. How long would it take for the FBI to send this information of a “contact” (without any information as to what the contact wanted to talk about) along it hierarchy? What kind of priority would such a vague and meaningless piece of information get? And for another thing, these very same FBI might even be part and parcel of the internal plot.
I always knew he would take it. And I’m pretty sure he actually did take it.
Georg, thanks for the troll. I’m not someone who uses fictional tv shows to form my opinions. Have a great day and a pleasant tomorrow.
The reason Trump said ‘I Think I’d Take’ Damaging Info On 2020 Rival From Foreign Operatives” is to drive fools like huju and Amil Zola crazy. There was nothing “illegal” in what Trump said.
To MoisheIG: Be careful about calling people foolish. No, there is nothing illegal in what Trump said, but it would be strong evidence of illegal intent if he or his campaign do take information about his political opponents from foreign sources. And if he did what he said he would do, that would be illegal.
huju, “but it would be strong evidence of illegal intent if …campaign do take information about … political opponents from foreign sources”; you mean Christopher Steel Dossier containing dirt supplied by Russian ex-KGB officers that was commissioned and paid by Hillary Clinton including DNC and Obama administration?