Trump Attacks Comey, Makes Cabinet Praise Him: A Closer Look

-Republicans are trying a new tactic
in their bid to save Donald Trump's presidency --
attacking the credibility
of the former FBI director James Comey,
which means it's now Trump's word versus Comey's,
and I'm not sure that's a fight the White House is gonna win.
For more on this, it's time for "A Closer Look."
♪♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
With the Russia investigation weighing on Trump
and his administration bogged down
by allegations that he committed obstruction of justice,
the president has been eager
to brag about his accomplishments,
even nonexistent ones,
like today when he held
his first full cabinet meeting at the White House
and made this outlandish claim.
-Never has there been a president,
with few exceptions --
case of FDR, he had a major depression to handle --
who has passed more legislation,
who's done more things than what we have done.
-That's right.
There's never been a president who's done more.
[ Imitating Trump ] Even Bill Clinton
took six years to get impeached.
I might do it in six months, you guys.
[ Laughter ]
We are racing. We are racing ahead.
[ Cheers and applause ]
[ Normal voice ] It's also important to note
that Trump administration has signed no major legislation.
In his time in office, he has touched more glowing orbs
than he has signed legislation.
He's been in more trucks than he's signed legislation.
He's photobombed more weddings than he's signed legislation.
And if you thought
maybe someone in his cabinet would point that out,
you're out of luck because instead,
they went around the table
taking turns thanking and praising him.
-Mr. President, thank you for the honor
to serve the country.
It's a great privilege you've given me.
-I can't thank you enough
for the privilege that you've given me
and the leadership that you've shown.
-I want to thank you for getting this country moving again.
-On behalf of the entire senior staff around you,
Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity
and the blessing that you've given us
to serve your agenda.
-Is there anything creepier than watching Trump
make his staff go around the room and praise him?
Even Kim Jong-Un is like, "Dude, have some self-respect.
You got to..."
[ Applause ]
Now, you may remember that in his testimony last week,
Comey said Trump had tried to get him to end his investigation
of former national security advisor Michael Flynn,
telling Comey in a private Oval Office meeting...
...which, of course, is usually what world leaders say to Trump
when he's shaking their hand.
I...hope can you let this go.
I have to use this to eat and drive.
[ Laughter ]
Wrap it up!
Now this, of course, has raised the question of whether
the president committed obstruction of justice.
Trump, in return, has accused Comey
of leaking the conversation to the press
despite the fact that Comey was a private citizen at the time
and the conversation was not classified.
At a press conference on Friday with the president with Romania,
Trump continued to defend himself,
although he seemed to want to keep his comments brief.
-No collusion.
No obstruction.
He's a leaker.
-Oh, no.
[ Laughter ]
Oh, no. He's talking like his tweets now.
If he's ever called to testify, he's gonna do it as a meme.
Trump was then asked --
[ Applause ]
Trump was then asked about Comey's testimony
and denied the allegations.
Now, he could have just left it there,
but then he couldn't help but add on to his answer
in a way that makes it sound like he totally did it.
-He did say under oath
that you told him to let the Flynn --
you said you hoped the Flynn investigation, you could --
-I didn't say that.
-So he lied about that?
-Well, I didn't say that.
I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that.
-And did he ask you to pledge his loyal--
-And there'd be nothing wrong if I did say it
according to everybody that I've read today,
but I did not say that.
[ Laughter ]
-He just can't help himself.
He's like a husband who denies cheating on his wife
but also wants credit for getting laid.
[As Trump] I didn't sleep with her, but if I had,
it would have been at the Ritz-Carlton, room 417.
[ Laughter ]
And 418 would have complained.
[ Applause ]
[ Normal voice ] So Trump denies
that he asked Comey to end the Flynn investigation
or asked him for loyalty
and even said he'd be willing to say so under oath.
-So, he said those things under oath.
Would you be willing to speak under oath
to give your version of --
-100%.
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?
-You would.
In fact, any time you hear
the question, "Who would do that?"
the answer is likely Donald Trump.
Who would set up a fake university to rip people off?
Donald Trump.
Who would brag about committing sexual assault?
Donald Trump.
Who would tweet a made-up word and leave it up for hours?
Dovald Trufefe.
[ Cheers and applause ]
So this is actually an important new development.
Trump has now offered to testify under oath,
although I'm not sure that's a good idea.
This may shock you,
but Trump has been deposed under oath before,
and under oath, he's had to admit to his lies.
For example in, 2007 he sued a reporter
wrote a book raising questions about his net worth.
Lawyers pressed Trump on various false claims.
And according to The Washington Post...
30 times!
It's easier to catch Trump in a lie
than it is to catch a toddler trying to steal a cookie.
Kevin?!
One of those lies was when Trump was asked
about public claims he had made about his own net worth,
but had to admit under oath it was all B.S.
-It starts with saying, "Have you ever not been truthful?"
Trump says, "My new worth fluctuates,
and it goes up and down with markets and with attitudes
and with feelings, even my own feelings,
but I try to be truthful."
And then he goes on to say -- the lawyer says...
Trump says...
Trump's net worth changes based on his feelings.
I honestly believe he's confused net worth with self worth.
[ Laughter ]
[ As Trump ] There are some mornings --
some mornings where I feel like $10 billion
and then other mornings where I'm so sad
that I only feel like $9 billion tops.
[ Normal voice ] So now, rather than simply change the subject,
Trump and his allies have made this
a question of credibility.
They're essentially asking, who are you going to believe --
James Comey or Donald Trump?
That's right. Who are you going to believe --
the former head of the FBI
or a former casino owner and reality TV host
who's been bankrupt four times, married three times,
paid $25 million
to settle a fraud lawsuit a month before taking office,
an said the following things about Putin --
And I'm not -- Let's be clear.
[ Cheers and applause ]
I am not the only one calling him a liar.
Just take that press conference with the president of Romania.
Trump was asked if they had discussed
what's known as the Visa Waiver Program
in their meeting.
Trump said they had not
and was immediately contradicted by the Romanian president.
-We didn't discuss it, but there would be certainly --
it would be something we will discuss, Mr. President.
-I mentioned this issue.
[ Laughter ]
-[ As Trump ] Oh, you did?
Well, I'm sorry to say I taped our conversation and --
Okay, yeah, he did right at the beginning.
Okay.
[ Normal voice ] In fact,
you can see Trump supporters in real time
grappling with how to defend his obvious lies
because they can't seem to get on the same page
about what Trump said to Comey, like his son, Donald Trump Jr.
Remember, Trump said flat-out that he did he not tell Comey,
"I hope you can let this go."
And yet, Don Jr. seemed to admit
that Comey's testimony was accurate.
-You and I have both known my father a long time.
When he tells you to do something, guess what?
There is no ambiguity in it.
There's no, "Hey, I'm hoping..." You and I are friends.
"Hey, I hope this happens, but you have to do your job."
That's what he told Comey.
-So he did say it, then.
These guys are like crooks who can't get their alibi straight.
He couldn't have been at the bank!
He was with me...at the bank!
[ Laughter ]
And then, of course, as we told you last week,
there's the GOP line
that Trump can't be held accountable for his actions
because he doesn't know what he's doing.
Chris Christie called it "New York City conversation."
Paul Ryan said he's new to this,
and Florida senator Marco Rubio tried his own version
of the "Trump is an idiot" defense.
-Is this the actions of someone
who is putting together a plan to impede an investigation?
Or is this a nonpolitician, unconventional figure
who simply operates in ways
that are different from previous presidents,
and no one has either informed him
or he's been unwilling to be informed
about why the sort of requests like the one he made
would be inappropriate?
-See? All it is is no one told him it was inappropriate.
But try that next time you get pulled over.
Oh, I saw the stop sign, officer,
but I didn't know it meant stop driving.
[ Laughter ]
I stopped singing.
And now Trump himself is joining in on the attacks on Comey,
tweeting on Sunday...
But if there is anyone who should be concerned
about legal jeopardy here, it's Trump.
In fact, Trump's lawyers
have become so concerned about the possibility
that his tweets could hurt him in court that...
Can you imagine what Trump legally vetted tweets
would sound like?
[ Laughter, cheers and applause ]
So Republicans can't even agree
whether the president is too dumb to know what he's doing.
And now the president is accusing his former FBI director
of lying under oath
even though his own supporters admit
that what Comey said was true.
It's crazy. Or, to put it another way...
-Who would do that? -This has been "A Closer Look."
♪♪
[ Cheers and applause ]

Trump Attacks Comey, Makes Cabinet Praise Him: A Closer Look

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