Mulling pardons, Trump cites Michael Flynn’s ‘incredible record in the military’

President Trump said he didn’t want to discuss pardons, including for former national security adviser Michael Flynn, in his first one-on-one interview since Attorney General William Barr’s report clearing him of collusion with Russia. Trump, in a Wednesday telephone interview on Fox News, was asked by host Sean Hannity whether he would consider a presidential pardon for any individuals charged during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with Russians, has already asked Trump for a pardon.

rump declined to answer the question but said many people were hurt by the probe. “I could name names that would just go on for the entire — your entire show. It's a very, very sad thing. I don't want to talk about pardons now, but I can say it is so sad on so many levels,” Trump told Hannity.

Trump specifically named his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who was charged for lying about a contact with the Russian ambassador during an interview with the FBI and pleaded guilty in December 2017. Trump said it was a sad situation but did not say he would pardon Flynn. “When you mention General Flynn, he was a man who had an incredible record in the military, you see what happened to him,” Trump said. “You know what he has gone through, and what so many others have gone through.” Barr announced Sunday in a four-page summary of Mueller’s investigation that Trump did not collude with Russia. Trump and his supporters have expressed anger about the investigation that went on for 22 months.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-dodges-on-pardons-after-mueller-investigation

Comey: Mueller report shows 'the FBI is not corrupt, not a nest of vipers and spies'

In his first interview since Attorney General William Barr announced that President Trump did not collude with Russia, former FBI Director James Comey said he is pleased with the findings. In an NBC interview, Comey said he was glad that the special counsel's report cleared President Trump of conspiring with the Russians. He also said he was glad it finished work establishing Russia interfered in the elections. “I think it's good that he was able to finish the work and establish both that the Russia thing wasn't a hoax, that the Russians interfered in the election in a huge way, and that's really important,” Comey said. “And another piece of good news, the evidence didn't establish that any Americans conspired as part of that effort. That should be good news no matter what party you're associated with.”

Comey said he wants the whole report to be released to show that the FBI is not corrupt and that the investigation itself was justified. “The FBI is not corrupt, not a nest of vipers and spies, but an honest group of people trying to find out what is true. And that's what you see here. And that's why it will be important to read the entire report,” Comey said.

The comment comes as questions continue to surround text messages from former FBI agent Peter Strzok to former FBI lawyer Lisa Page that show a clear bias against Trump. Strzok served as a lead investigator on the FBI’s Russia investigation until the texts were discovered. Comey said he hopes the release of the full report will shed light on the investigation in its entirety. “I don't know what the special counsel found. And I'm prepared, I hope everybody is, to wait and get the transparency that we need,” he said

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/comey-mueller-report-shows-the-fbi-is-not-corrupt-not-a-nest-of-vipers-and-spies

Jordan, Meadows accuse Oversight chairman of trying to embarrass Fox News with investigation

Republican Reps. Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows accused the Democrat-led House Oversight Committee of trying to embarrass Fox News by investigating why it did not publish a story on porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., has requested documents from former Fox News reporter Diana Falzone on her story about Daniels’ alleged 2005 relationship with President Trump. Falzone, who in May 2017 sued the network, is reportedly cooperating with the committee, despite a nondisclosure agreement reached in a settlement with Fox News. Editor Ken LaCorte says he halted the story because it lacked corroborating evidence and because Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, denied the affair at the time.

“Your inquiry to Ms. Falzone about the editorial decisions of Fox News appears to depart from responsible and legitimate oversight,” Jordan and Meadows wrote in a letter to Cummings on Wednesday. “In addition to raising questions about whether your inquiry to Ms. Falzone is a proper use of Committee resources, it also implicates serious matters relating to the First Amendment and freedom of the press,” the pair wrote.

A lengthy New Yorker article said that LaCorte quashed the story because “Rupert [Murdoch] wants Donald Trump to win.” LaCoste denies he said that. “The story wasn’t close to being publishable, and my decision to hold it was a no-brainer,” LaCorte wrote for Mediaite. “I didn’t do it to help Trump and never said nor implied otherwise. It was such an easy call that I never even informed my direct boss or anyone in management about it.”

Jordan and Meadows asked Cummings if the same standard would apply to a CNN or MSNBC story. “We respectfully ask what you would do if a witness approached the Committee with information about CNN or MSNBC refusing to publish a news story due to a bias against the President. If such a witness came forward, would you be willing to seek documents and a transcribed interview with that individual?” the two Republicans asked

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/jordan-meadows-cummings-trying-to-embarrass-fox-news-with-investigation

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Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel After Bilateral Meeting

Foreign Policy Issued on: March 25, 2019

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-prime-minister-netanyahu-israel-bilateral-meeting-4/