President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE tweeted on Friday that “Fox & Friends” was broadcasting from the front lawn of the White House, teasing a possible visit. Minutes later, Trump was standing side-by-side with Fox host Steve Doocy unloading on former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyThe FBI should turn off the FARA faucet Barr threatened to resign over Trump attempts to fire Wray: report 'Fox News Sunday' to mark 25 years on air MORE, Democrats and the Russia probe in an unusual setting: the North Lawn of the White House. ADVERTISEMENT After ending the Fox interview, Trump conceded to a shorter, more hostile series of questions from other reporters — one of whom he described as obnoxious. In the course of the two interviews, Trump offered a series of claims, several of them misleading and designed to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerSenate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG Barr taps attorney investigating Russia probe origins as special counsel MORE’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He said the Justice Department’s inspector general (IG) report had cleared his name, even though that was not one of its conclusions or purposes. “I think that the report yesterday, maybe more importantly than anything, it totally exonerates me,” Trump told the group of reporters in the second interview. The IG report focused on the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillary Clinton takes on conspiracy theories on Borat special Top general: Russia, China will look to expand influence in Middle East as US pulls back We have a chance to halt climate change if we stop destroying carbon sinks and cut methane MORE and did not touch upon the origins of Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s election interference. Trump offered a a selective reading of the IG report, which criticized the FBI and Comey’s conduct during the Clinton probe but found no evidence their decisions were tainted by political bias in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential race. Trump accused the FBI of having “total bias” toward him and “plotting against my election,” statements that continued the White House’s efforts to politically tar the underpinnings of Mueller’s probe, which began after Trump’s firing of Comey. Trump chose to criticize the part of the report that said the FBI’s actions were not affected by political bias. “I say that the IG blew it at the very end with that statement,” he said. “The IG report was a horror show. I thought that one sentence of conclusion was ridiculous." Trump, perhaps in a good mood after the release of the IG report and his historic summit this week with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, then moved on to other topics. On immigration, Trump blamed Democrats for the separation of children from their parents at the border, even though it is his own administration’s policy to split up the families when people are apprehended making illegal crossings. “I hate it,” Trump said. “That’s the Democrat’s law and we can change it tonight. We can change it right now.” The separations are the result of a May 7 announcement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsCNN reporter's phone and email records secretly obtained by Trump administration: report Biden looks to expand legal assistance for minorities, low-income Americans One quick asylum fix: How Garland can help domestic violence survivors MORE of a “zero-tolerance policy” for people who cross the southern border, not a specific law passed by Democrats. Under the zero-tolerance policy, people apprehended illegally crossing the border face criminal prosecution, which results in children being taken away from their parents to be placed in shelters. Trump also said Friday that he would not sign a compromise immigration bill drafted by House Republicans that would end the family separation policy. The president said the bill does not contain strong enough border security provisions. Trump's remarks appeared to spell doom for the House bill, as conservatives quickly said it would not have the votes to be approved. Members of both parties have criticized the zero-tolerance policy, and Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanPaul Ryan to headline Kinzinger fundraiser Biden's relationship with top House Republican is frosty The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent BioSolutions - Facebook upholds Trump ban; GOP leaders back Stefanik to replace Cheney MORE (R-Wis.) voiced support for changing it on Thursday. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiGOP leaders face new calls to boot Greene Biden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Kinzinger calls for Greene to be removed from GOP conference after Holocaust remark MORE (D-Calif.) said she did not believe the GOP-controlled Congress could find the votes to pass an immigration bill and said Trump could end the policy on his own if he chose to do so. Trump, who was making his first appearance before cameras since his return from the summit with Kim, sought to explain his lavish praise for the brutal North Korean leader. In public comments, Trump has called Kim a “strong” and “funny” guy while downplaying his human-rights abuses. “You know why? Because I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family, OK?” Trump told a reporter who asked why he has defended Kim. Trump provided even more fodder for reporters during his Fox interview when he said he wants people to sit at attention like they do for the North Korean leader. “Hey, he is the head of a country, and I mean he is the strong head,” Trump said. “Don't let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” Pressed by a reporter about that comment, Trump responded: “I'm kidding, you don't understand sarcasm.”<doc-sep>This image was removed due to legal reasons. After teasing that he might make an “unannounced trip” down to the White House lawn for an interview with his bosom buddies at Fox & Friends, President Trump did just that on Friday morning, giving a wide-ranging interview where he adamantly praised the North Korean dictator, repeatedly praised Fox News, and bizarrely talked about the “kisses” he definitely got on his birthday. He then stuck around to talk to the broader press corps for another 20 minutes or so. Advertisement Asked during the more than 30-minute chat about the recent summit in Singapore with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Trump said multiple times that they “had a good chemistry” and “got along very well.” He also claimed he’s “solved” the problem of a nuclear North Korea. Then he took it a step further, saying: “He speaks and his people sit up for attention. I want my people to do the same,” perhaps unaware that subjecting your citizenry to forced labor and state-sanctioned murders is a great motivator. When Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy asked him about the White House press corps’ tense interactions with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders yesterday about that immigration policy, Trump turned to talk about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where Sanders was a frequent target for jokes. “That White House Correspondents’ Dinner....” he started, trailing off ominously. “What they did to Sarah...I would’ve walked out.” He also said Sanders’ was “very insulted” by a recent CBS News report that she was preparing to depart the White House by lightly remarking that “at some point, I’m sure she’ll leave.” Trump, clearly living for this, stuck around for an impromptu and increasingly chaotic press gaggle after the interview that was picked up by all the major news networks, where he clarified he was apparently doing irony when he made that “sit up for attention” comment: Advertisement Repeatedly pressed by multiple reporters about his administration’s policy of separating children—some as young as infants—from their undocumented parents at the border, Trump blamed the Democrats yet again. “I hate the children being taken away, that’s the Democrats’ law,” he said. (It is not a law, but rather his administration’s own policy.) “I want the laws to be beautiful and humane.” He also went on to tell the reporters: “Tell your friends, the Democrats, to call me.” Advertisement A few more truly insane highlights: The president saying he got “got a lot of good kisses” on his birthday yesterday, to which Doocy asked from whom. “My beautiful wife,” who is also very healthy and not recovering from a facelift Trump repeated the bogus claim that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are “liberating” communities from the scourge of MS-13. He accused the FBI of actively “plotting against my election” in the wake of the release of a report by an internal Justice Department watchdog He declared that “I study ratings” after remarking that Fox News’ ratings would be far lower if Hillary Clinton had been elected. And finally, he pulled Doocy’s son, Peter, who also works as a reporter for Fox News, in front of the camera to say: “I look at him and know, that’s definitely your son.” Advertisement This image was removed due to legal reasons. Doocy called out to the reporters gathered to confirm that a sitting president had never done what Trump did before: coming out of the West Wing and doing ad hoc press. Unfortunately, it’s one of the far more benign firsts that Trump is racking up.<doc-sep>President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE on Friday walked out of the White House for an impromptu interview on the Fox News morning show “Fox & Friends.” “You are about to see something on the Fox News that has never happened, that we believe, in the history of White House reporting," co-host Steve Doocy announced live on air. "And that is the president of the United States is just outside the press room and it looks like he is en route to our location.” ADVERTISEMENT Trump tweeted that he might do so at 7:50 a.m., while live-tweeting segments from the show. “Wow, the highest rated (by far) morning show, @foxandfriends, is on the Front Lawn of the White House. Maybe I’ll have to take an unannounced trip down to see them?” he tweeted. Wow, the highest rated (by far) morning show, @foxandfriends, is on the Front Lawn of the White House. Maybe I’ll have to take an unannounced trip down to see them? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2018 Trump is a known fan and regular viewer of the morning Fox show and often tweets quotes from its hosts and guests. Donald Trump walking down the White House lawn so he can make a surprise live appearance on his favorite TV show is just completely bonkers pic.twitter.com/3VzN44TlKQ — Amber Jamieson (@ambiej) June 15, 2018 Fox News announced Trump would appear on the show in a press release at 8:19 a.m. ADVERTISEMENT Reporters thronged Trump as he left the White House to cross the lawn. A White House press pool report noted that Trump's public appearance happened three hours before the pool "call" time, which is when the White House estimates the president's schedule calls for media coverage. JUST IN: After tweeting that he might do so, President Trump has made an impromptu walk out of the White House to conduct a live interview with Fox News. pic.twitter.com/Y1l4JJ6ELo — MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 15, 2018 In the interview, Trump discussed the Department of Justice's internal watchdog report released on Thursday, the Republicans' immigration compromise bill and his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, among other topics. Updated at 9:35 a.m.<doc-sep>President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on Friday. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo The most provocative quotes from Trump's impromptu White House interviews A newly invigorated President Donald Trump was chatty on Friday morning, spending more than an hour on the White House lawn talking with “Fox & Friends” and then with a gaggle of reporters, as he celebrated the release of a Justice Department watchdog report. Trump falsely claimed the report “totally exonerates” him, offered a confusing quote about how he wants “my people” to treat him as well as North Koreans treat Kim Jong Un, and blamed Democrats for his administration’s controversial practice of separating migrant families at the border. Below are some of the most provocative quotes Trump offered up: • Trump blasted former FBI Director James Comey, saying his actions during the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails seemed criminal. Though the report did not find that political bias affected the investigation, it did criticize Comey’s conduct and also revealed politically charged text messages against Trump between two FBI officials. “Who's lied more than Comey? Comey's lied a tremendous amount,” Trump said. “I think Comey was the ringleader of this whole den of thieves.” • “What he did was horrible. Should he be locked up? Let somebody make a determination. Look at all the dishonest things that ‘Crooked Hillary’ did. Look what's gone on. It is very sad,” Trump added about Comey. • Trump disagreed with report’s findings that the investigation was not impacted by political bias. He pointed to a damning text exchange between FBI agent Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page. “I am amazed that Peter Strzok is still at the FBI and so is everybody else that read that report. And I'm not even talking about that report. I’m talking about before the report. Peter Strzok should've been fired a long time ago,” Trump said. “They said they will stop me. In the meantime the economy hit an all-time high this morning. Never been better.” POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. • Trump falsely claimed that the DOJ IG report cleared him, even though the report did not directly touch on special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into whether Trump campaign officials colluded with Russian officials to meddle in the election and into whether Trump tried to obstruct justice. “I think that the report yesterday, maybe more importantly than anything, it totally exonerates me. There was no collusion, there was no obstruction, and if you read the report ... you'll see bias against me and millions and tens of millions of my followers, that is really a disgrace.” • Trump stressed his popularity among members of the public and the FBI. “I have the greatest supporters in the world. By the way, they're the smartest, they're the hardest working, they pay taxes. They're incredible. They're loyal. I have the bikers, I have the construction workers, I have them all. I have, by the way, I have the FBI. You go into the FBI and take a poll of the real FBI, not the scum on top, not Comey and that group of people that are total thieves,” he said. • The president also offered insight into the latest round of tariffs his administration plans to hit China with, and denied he is sparking a trade war. “We'll do $50 billion, on $50 billion of high technology equipment and other things coming into the country because so much of our secrets, we have the great brain power in Silicon Valley and China and others steal those secrets. We'll protect those secrets. Those are crown jewels for this country,” Trump said. • “The trade war was started many years ago by them, and the United States lost,” Trump said. “There is no trade war.” • Trump also addressed the controversial practice of separating migrant children from their families at the U.S. border. White House press secretary Sarah Hucakbee Sanders got into a heated back-and-forth with reporters over the issue at a news briefing on Thursday, which the president said he didn’t know about. “I hate the children being taken away. The Democrats have to change that law. That's their law,” Trump said. “The children can be taken care of quickly, beautifully and immediately. The Democrats forced that law upon our nation. I hate it.” • Reporters pressed Trump on his willingness to meet with North Korean officials despite the country’s well-known human rights violations. “Because I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy your family,” Trump said. “The fake news said, ‘Oh, he should have gave up.’ You know what, I met, we had great chemistry.” • “What about the people he's killing?” a reporter asked. “I can't speak to that,” Trump said. • Following his summit in Singapore earlier this week, Trump said it's possible North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could make a trip to the White House. “It could happen,” Trump said. “Hey, he is the head of a country and I mean he is a strong head. Don't let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” •He said the same of a meeting this summer with Russian President Vladimir Putin: “It’s possible we will meet.” • The president touched on his meeting with another Kim — Kim Kardashian. Trump talked about his decision to pardon 63-year-old Alice Marie Johnson, who was in jail for nonviolent drug offenses, after the reality star visited him at the White House. “She came in and she said this is a very unfair situation. I looked at her. I agree,” Trump said.<doc-sep>
President Trump declared in a spur-of-the-moment interview with "Fox and Friends" Friday morning that he wants people to sit at attention for him like they do for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. It was just one of the surprising things the president said in the roughly 50 minutes he spent on the White House lawn speaking to the Fox News show and other reporters in a surprise appearance. The spur-of-the-moment White House lawn interview was, in the memory of those present, unprecedented. Here are the highlights from Friday morning's surprise free-for-all press availability and TV interview: Trump praises "strong" Kim Jong Un Kim stands accused of leading a murderous regime that starves its own people. But Mr. Trump has heaped praise on Kim since meeting with him in Singapore, saying repeatedly that the two have "good chemistry." "Hey, he is the head of a country and I mean he is the strong head," Mr. Trump told Fox News' Steve Doocy on the White House lawn Friday. "Don't let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same." Pressed by a reporter about those remarks moments later, Mr. Trump said he was "kidding." "I'm kidding, you don't understand sarcasm," the president said. Trump on why he can defend Kim's human rights record Mr. Trump was later asked how he can mourn the death of American Otto Warmbier, who was held hostage in North Korea, while defending Kim's disastrous human rights record. "I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family," Mr. Trump said. "I want to have a good relationship with North Korea. I want to have a good relationship with many countries." "I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family. I want to have a good relationship with North Korea. I want to have a good relationship with many countries," President Trump says https://t.co/QXs0h4qARv pic.twitter.com/C3UaOWvAAZ — CBS News (@CBSNews) June 15, 2018 Mr. Trump was also pressed about his past claim that Kim loves his people. "How can Kim love his people if he's killing them?" a reporter asked. "I can't speak to that," the president responded. Those comments come after a different Fox News interview earlier this week, when the president also downplayed Kim's human rights record. "You know you call people sometimes killers, he is a killer. He's clearly executing people," Fox News' Bret Baier told Mr. Trump. "He's a tough guy," the president responded. "Hey, when you take over a country, tough country, with tough people, and you take it over from your father, I don't care who you are, what you are, how much of an advantage you have," the president continued. "If you can do that at 27 years old, I mean that's one in 10,000 that could do that. So he's a very smart guy, he's a great negotiator. But I think we understand each other." Baier paused, before pressing, "But he's still done some really bad things." Mr. Trump downplayed Kim's actions, suggesting Kim isn't alone in that. "Yeah, but so have a lot of other people done some really bad things," Mr. Trump said. "I mean, I could go through a lot of nations where a lot of bad things were done. Now look, with all of that being said, the answer is yes." Michael Cohen isn't Trump's lawyer anymore Mr. Trump on Friday also said Michael Cohen is no longer his lawyer, although he didn't elaborate on that much. "No, he's not my lawyer, anymore," he said. It's unclear when Cohen stopped being the president's lawyer. Trump blasts FBI after "horror show" inspector general report On Friday, Mr. Trump also called the Department of Justice Inspector General report examining the FBI's approach to the Hillary Clinton email investigation a "horror show." The president also claimed the report completely exonerates him, even though the report was about the FBI's approach to the Hillary Clinton email investigation, not about special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. "I think the report yesterday, maybe more importantly than anything, totally exonerates me. There was no collusion. There was no obstruction," Mr. Trump claimed. Trump claims he hates separation of families at the border Mr. Trump claimed he hates the separation of children from their families at the southern border, again blaming Democrats for the situation. Mr. Trump continues to insist Democrats created a law requiring the family separation, although it is his administration separating families.