WATCH: Trump Says ‘I Don’t Know Matt Whitaker’ One Month After Saying ‘I Know Matt Whitaker’
President Donald Trump said on Friday he doesn’t know Matt Whitaker, the man he chose to serve as acting attorney general. Last month, in an appearance on Fox & Friends, he said the opposite.
When asked by reporters about his selection of Whitaker to replace Jeff Sessions, and the Justice Department official’s history of criticizing the Mueller probe, Trump said this:
“I don’t know Matt Whitaker. Matt Whitaker worked for Jeff Sessions, and he was always extremely highly thought of, and he still is. But I didn’t know Matt Whitaker. He worked for Attorney General Sessions.”
In an appearance on Fox & Friends from October 11, Trump spoke fondly of Whitaker when asked if he was being considered to replace Sessions.
“I can tell you Matt Whitaker is a great guy,” Trump said. “I know Matt Whitaker.”
Watch both moments above.
Whitaker was named acting attorney general on Wednesday, after Jeff Sessions was forced out of the position by Trump. He has drawn scrutiny given his previous comments blasting Robert Mueller‘s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, which he now oversees.
Despite calls for Whitaker to recuse himself from the investigation, like Sessions did at the dawn of the Trump administration, The Washington Post reported that he has no intention of doing so.
[image via Getty]
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