AP FACT CHECK: Trump twists Cohen's words on collusion

Source: Associated Press

AP FACT CHECK: Trump twists Cohen’s words on collusion

By HOPE YEN and CALVIN WOODWARD
March 2, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — Assailed by his ex-lawyer at every turn, President Donald Trump nevertheless claimed a measure of vindication from Michael Cohen’s statement that he possessed no direct evidence of collusion with Russia from his time serving the boss. But contrary to Trump’s words, Cohen did not exonerate him on the matter in his testimony to lawmakers.

Trump also put the best face on his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, claiming he had a “really productive time” in Hanoi, Vietnam, despite the collapse of talks and cancellation of a planned signing agreement. More substantively, he claimed the talks broke down because North Korea insisted on the lifting of all sanctions — an assertion contradicted by the State Department as well as by the North Koreans.

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COHEN TESTIMONY

TRUMP: “He said no collusion. And I was, you know, a little impressed by that, frankly. Could’ve — he could’ve gone all out. He only went about 95 percent instead of 100 percent.” — Hanoi news conference Thursday.

THE FACTS: He takes Cohen’s comment too far. Cohen did not clear his former boss on the question of whether his campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. In the course of implicating Trump in other alleged criminal activity, Cohen said he did not witness or know directly of collusion “but I have my suspicions.” He didn’t say “no collusion.”

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Read more: https://apnews.com/46c2f5072d1448929898c8af824b1097