President Donald Trump doubled down on his extraordinary statement that he would accept campaign dirt from a foreign power – saying he can't be expected to call the FBI after meeting with figures like the 'Prince of Whales.'
Trump's defense of his position – and his whale of a typo for the title of Prince Charles, whom he dined with last week – came as leading Democrats blasted his comments and renewed calls to begin his impeachment.
'I meet and talk to 'foreign governments' every day,' Trump wrote on Twitter Thursday morning. 'I just met with the Queen of England (U.K.), the Prince of Whales, the P.M. of the United Kingdom, the P.M. of Ireland, the President of France and the President of Poland. We talked about 'Everything!'
President Donald Trump maintained that accepting what he called 'oppo research' (opposition research) from foreign actors was not the same as interference in US elections. He doubled down on his position Thursday
He continued: 'Should I immediately...call the FBI about these calls and meetings? How ridiculous! I would never be trusted again. With that being said, my full answer is rarely played by the Fake News Media. They purposely leave out the part that matters,' Trump added.
ABC aired multiple quotes by Trump explaining his position. Interviewer George Stephanopoulos, who spent time with Trump over two days this week and traveled aboard Air Force One, brought up offers of foreign dirt on a day Donald Trump Jr. was testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Trump Jr. famously accepted a meeting in Trump Tower in 2016 after being offered dirt on rival Hillary Clinton described as being from the Russian government.
'It's not an interference, they have information -- I think I'd take it,' Trump said. 'If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI -- if I thought there was something wrong.'
In a hypothetical in the interview, Trump brought up a scenario of Norway offering information on a campaign rival.
President Donald Trump has said that if foreign governments offered his campaign damaging information against his 2020 rivals during the upcoming presidential race, he would 'take it in' before, if at all, going to federal authorities, in an exclusive interview with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopolous
Newsweek columnist Seth Abramson agreed with Smith, tweeting, 'Trump just told us he'd try to steal the 2020 election by getting assistance from other countries, including hacked materials. He JUST TOLD US. If he's allowed to run in 2020, the election is a joke before it begins. THIS is what happens when you don't hold criminals accountable'
Rolling Stone senior writer Jamil Smith pointed out Trump's use of a Scandinavian country in his hypothetical example of accepting information from foreign agents, and equated the president's comments to an admission of past acts, in a tweet on Wednesday
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales speaks at the 'Youth Can Do It' Prince's Trust Reception at the Phillips Gallery on June 12, 2019 in London, England. Trump cited the 'Prince of Whales' in arguing he shouldn't have to call the FBI if he gets oppo information from a foreign power
Under 11 CFR § 110.20 (b), campaign finance law prohibits a foreign national from contributing or donating 'money or other thing of value,' or even expressly or impliedly promising to do so, 'in connection with any Federal, State, or local election.'
That makes it punishable for the foreign actor to do so.
The same laws also makes it illegal to accept such a contribution or donation, which could arguably be considered 'just listening,' as President Donald Trump put it, to information about political opponents obtained by a foreign actor.
Subsection (h)(1) of the law states, 'No person
