Spicer Clarifies, Again: ‘We’re Not Aware Of Anything’ About POTUS Investigation

White House press secretary Sean Spicer speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 9, 2017. Spicer answered questions about small businesses, the economy, the federal budget an... White House press secretary Sean Spicer speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 9, 2017. Spicer answered questions about small businesses, the economy, the federal budget and other topics. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) MORE LESS
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White House press secretary Sean Spicer spent nearly two minutes Thursday clarifying his remarks from the previous day that there was “no reason that we have to think that the President is the target of any investigation whatsoever,” and “no reason to believe that there is any type of investigation with respect to the Department of Justice.”

On Thursday, an unnamed Justice Department official told the New York Times that there was no indication anyone at DOJ had given the White House that assurance. The source had “no comment” when asked if Trump was the subject of an investigation.

“I’m not aware of it,” Spicer said, asked about the possibility of an investigation. “That’s my point, is that we’re not aware of anything.”

“You haven’t been told by the Justice Department that there is no investigation?” CBS’s Margaret Brennan followed up. “So there might be one? You just don’t know?”

“Right, I said I’m not aware,” Spicer said. “And that’s why we want the House and Senate to do what the President has asked of them, to look into this. But no, we’re not aware.”

He was referring to the White House’s requests to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to investigate Trump’s unsubstantiated claim on Twitter over the weekend that President Obama had ordered the phones tapped in Trump Tower.

Spicer and Brennan went back and forth on the definition of “not aware.” Spicer never explained why, at the end of Wednesday’s press briefing, he had changed his earlier statement about a potential investigation of the President from “I think that’s what we need to find out,” to “there’s no reason that we have to think that the President is the target of any investigation whatsoever.”

“When you said no reason to believe, it was I’m not aware there’s an investigation,” Brennan eventually asked.

“That’s right. I don’t know they are not interchangeable. I’m not aware, I don’t believe. Look up in a thesaurus and find other ways.”

Watch the exchange below via CBS News:

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Notable Replies

  1. I want to know what the plan is for Nigel.

    Nigel Farage Just Visited The Ecuadorian Embassy In London

    Asked by BuzzFeed News if he’d been visiting Julian Assange, the former UKIP leader said he couldn’t remember what he’d been doing in the building.

    Asked specifically if he had gone to the Knightsbridge building to meet with Assange, Farage said: “I never discuss where I go or who I see.”

    Could this song be more perfect?

    We’re only making plans for Nigel
    He has his future in a British steel
    We’re only making plans for Nigel
    Nigel’s whole future is as good as sealed

    And if young Nigel says he’s happy
    He must be happy
    He must be happy in his work

    Nigel is not outspoken
    But he likes to speak
    And loves to be spoken to
    Nigel is happy in his work
    We’re only making plans for Nigel

    XTC

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXNhL4J_S00
  2. Avatar for tena tena says:

    Nothing good ever comes of that slimy Nigel the Chinless Wonder Rat nosing around.

    Fucking Putin agent.

  3. White House press secretary Sean Spicer spent nearly two minutes Thursday clarifying his remarks from the previous day that there was “no reason that we have to think
    that the President is the target of any investigation whatsoever," and
    “no reason to believe that there is any type of investigation with
    respect to the Department of Justice.”

    Oh really?
    ((snicker…rubs hands))
    edit
    Spicer probably could’ve stopped at “We’re not aware” and left it at that.

  4. The thing about Trump is, he
    A. speaks his mind.
    B. can’t be bought.
    C. is a Washington outsider.
    D. is not beholden to anyone.
    E. will run the government like a business.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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