Donald Trump Jr. appears to contradict father's account of private Comey meeting
Trump's son appeared to contradict his account of a private meeting with Comey.
-- President Trump's son appeared to contradict his father's account of a conversation the president had with former FBI Director James Comey about the federal investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
The president on Friday denied outright testimony by Comey to Congress that Trump said he hoped the FBI chief could let go of the Flynn probe.
ABC Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl in the Rose Garden on Friday asked Trump about Comey's statement to Congress the day before. "He did say under oath that you told him to let the Flynn – you said you hoped the Flynn investigation – he could let go," Karl said.
"I didn't say that," Trump said.
Pressed whether he was saying Comey lied under oath, Trump said, "I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that."
The president added that he would "100 percent" be willing to testify under oath to dispute Comey's account of their meeting.
But in a television appearance Saturday evening, Donald Trump Jr. appeared to contradict his father's flat-out denial.
"When [President Trump] tells you to do something, guess what, there's no ambiguity in it," Trump Jr. said in an interview with Fox News' Jeanine Pirro.
"There's no, 'hey, I'm hoping.' You and I are friends, 'hey I hope this happens, but you've got to do your job.' That's what he told Comey."
Trump Jr. and his brother Eric are not officially involved in the administration after their father handed over management of Trump Organization to them prior to his inauguration. They remain involved in politics, however, attending meetings with the Republican National Committee as well as campaign events for Republican special-election candidates.
Neither the Trump Organization nor the White House immediately responded to ABC News' request for comment about Trump Jr's remarks.
Trump Jr. in his interview Saturday also hit Comey for his admission that he had leaked his memos on his encounters with the president to a close friend following his firing, who then read the memos to The New York Times.
Trump Jr. said this suggests Comey could be behind further leaks of information that have plagued the administration.
"I mean he said he's a leaker,” Trump Jr. said. “If he did it this time, how many other times did they do it?”
President Trump took to Twitter himself Sunday morning to suggest Comey's release of his memos could violate the law.
Trump’s personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, is expected to file a complaint with the Justice Department’s Inspector General asking for an inquiry into Comey’s releasing details of his conversations with the president.