When pressed about how he jokingly warned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to “meddle” in the 2020 election, President Donald Trump doubled down on the remark during a news conference in Osaka Saturday.
“You have to take a look at the word. I did say it,” Trump said, according to CNN.
Trump then said that he had a “tremendous discussion” with Putin, and that the topic of election meddling had come up again during their meeting.
“I did say it, and I did discuss it a little bit after that, too,” Trump said.
Trump’s offhanded remark during the G20 summit in Osaka Friday drew fire back home for making light of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian election meddling findings abroad.
Putin denied the meddling later on Friday while praising him as a “talented” person who won in 2016 because he was merely perceptive to changes in the U.S.
