President Donald Trump on Friday morning said that he does not “remember much” about a meeting during the 2016 campaign attended by George Papadopoulos, the former campaign aide who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Kremlin-linked individuals during the 2016 race.
“I don’t remember much about that meeting. It was a very unimportant meeting. Took place a long time — don’t remember much about it,” Trump told reporters Friday morning outside the White House when asked about the Papadopolous meeting.
Trump does not clearly recall the meeting despite having “one of the greatest memories of all time,” as he boasted just last week.
Asked again about the Russia probe, Trump told reporters that there was “no collusion” and that the media should focus more on Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee.
Since Papadopoulos’ guilty plea was unsealed on Monday, Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have come under scrutiny for a meeting they attended with Papadopoulos and other advisers in March 2016. Papadopoulos says he suggested that Trump meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the campaign meeting, claiming that he had connections to help set it up.
CNN reported Wednesday that Trump did not agree to or reject the meeting when the idea was raised byP apadopoulos, citing an unnamed source in the room. CNN and NBC News both reported that Sessions rejected the idea during the March 2016 meeting.
Trump on Papadopoulos meeting: "I don't remember much about that meeting, it was a very unimportant meeting. Don't remember much about it." pic.twitter.com/Z8C7XQfHlz
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 3, 2017
He remembers virtually nothing.
With few exceptions.
On many sides.
Lordy, I hope there are tapes!
Heh.
Trump can’t recall saying he has one of the world’s best memories.
He’s a huckster; everything he says is mere puffery not to be take literally.
Of course he doesn’t remember it. If he can’t remember what he said to a war widow on the phone only a couple days previously, how can he remember a meeting held months ago?