PoliticsCongress

Actions

Sen. Schumer Invites Trump To Do Something Few Presidents Have Done

In an interview, Sen. Chuck Schumer invited President Trump to testify before the Senate to share his side of the Comey story.
Posted at 3:52 PM, Jun 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-11 15:52:09-04

It seems Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to take the president up on his offer. 

"Well, I'd like to invite the president to testify before the Senate. I think we could work out a way that it could be dignified, public, with questions," Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on CBS' "Face the Nation." 

The question of President Donald Trump testifying under oath came up after the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey. Much of Comey's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing centered around his private conversations with Trump. And the president contradicted some of that sworn testimony. 

"James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said, and some of the things that he said just weren't true," Trump said during a Friday press conference

"He did say under oath, you told him to let the Flynn — you said you hoped the Flynn investigation you could let go," Jonathan Karl of ABC News asked.

"I didn't say that," Trump said.

"So he lied about that?" Karl asked. 

"Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you I didn't say that," Trump responded. 

With conflicting accounts of what happened, some wondered if the president would testify under oath to give his side of the story. Trump told reporters "100 percent."

"So if Robert Mueller wanted to speak with you about that?" Karl asked.

"I would be glad to tell him exactly what I just told you, Jon," Trump responded.

The special investigation spearheaded by Robert Mueller and the Senate investigation are two separate things. But if Trump does testify before the Senate, he'll be joining a very short list. 

Only three sitting presidents have testified before congressional committees — Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson and Gerald Ford. All three appeared voluntarily.