Trump Requests to Speak Off the Record When Asked By Washington Post If He Intends to ‘Help’ Paul Manafort

President Donald Trump sat for an extensive interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, and one moment from the transcript should raise eyebrows: when asked about whether he intends to help Paul Manafort, the president asked to speak off the record.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller accused Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, of violating his plea agreement by lying repeatedly to federal investigators. The president has bemoaned the treatment of Manafort, and railed against the Mueller probe this week.

At one point early on in the Post interview, reporter Josh Dawsey asked if the president planned to “help” Manafort. Trump asked to speak off the record, which was granted. When Dawsey asked if Trump could provide “any version” of his comments on the record, the president again went off the record. After those comments, the interview moved on.

Here’s the Post‘s transcript of the interview:

DAWSEY: Last night, Mr. President, the special counsel’s team charged Paul Manafort with saying, they accused him at least of saying more lies, and ended his plea deal. People around you have told me you’re upset about the way he’s been treated. Are you planning to do anything to help him?

TRUMP: Let me go off the record because I don’t want to get in the middle of the whole thing.

[Trump speaks off the record.]

DAWSEY: Is there any version of that you’re willing to give us on the record in answer to that question?

TRUMP: I’d rather not. At some point, I’ll talk on the record about it. But I’d rather not.

[Trump speaks off the record.]

To be a fly…

[Photo by Andrew Harrer/Getty Images]