THE WHITE HOUSE: "Believe me, there's no collusion," President Donald Trump told reporters during a White House press conference.
It was his first media appearance since Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller special counsel to look into whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to meddle in the election.
"Well, I respect the move, but the entire thing has been a witch hunt. There is no collusion between, certainly myself and my campaign, but I can always speak for myself and the Russians - zero," the president said.
Thursday morning the president fired off several tweets.
This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2017
With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2017
Later in the day, his reaction became more measured.
"I believe it hurts our country terribly, because it shows we're a divided, mixed-up, not-unified country," the president told a small group of reporters over lunch at the White House to discuss his first foreign trip.
He says he wants to focus on his attention on advancing his agenda for the nation.
The president's press conference came after a meeting with President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, the third of three world leaders Trump hosted at the White House this week.
The two men discussed trade, the deadly chaos in Venezuela and drugs - specifically cocaine that flows out of Colombia into the U.S. like water.
Santos has worked to broker peace with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the People's Army, which is responsible for a lot of his country's drug trafficking. However, Colombia still cultivated and produced a record amount of cocaine last year, most of which ends up on the streets of the United States.
Santos was asked what he thinks about Trump's plan to build a wall along the country's southern border. Santos said he thinks collaboration among countries is the best way to fight drug trafficking.
Trump volunteered to answer the question more succinctly, "Walls work, just ask Israel," he said.
As a leader who has faced tough times in his own country, Santos was asked if he offered Trump any tips on how to deal with his current media storm.
"I'm not in any position to help President Trump, he can take care of himself," Santos said with a smile.
-Jennifer Wishon