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'I Don't Want to See a Nuclear Weapon Destroy Your Family': Trump's Presser on the North Lawn

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WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump held an impromptu interview and gaggle on the White House north lawn Friday.

Trump faced questions on immigration, North Korea and the FBI's Inspector General report, which he says "totally exonerates" him and proves "there was no collusion" and "no obstruction."

The 500-page report from the Inspector General's office concluded that former FBI Director James Comey was negligent in following protocol during the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server.

But the report points out that Comey did not act out of political bias.

"I think I did the country a tremendous favor by firing him," said Trump.

On North Korea, Trump says he wants to have a "good relationship" with Kim Jong Un to prevent nuclear war.

"I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family," Trump said. "Seoul has 28 million people 30 miles off the border, you would have had 30, 40, 50 million people killed. Who knows what would have happened. I came in, that was what I inherited."

In the wake of the G-7, Trump said "it's possible" he'll meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this summer and would like to see Russia back in the summit with western allies.

"It's much better if we get along with them than if we don't," said Trump.

In 2014, Russia was kicked out of what was then the G-8 after invading the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine.

Trump blamed the aggressive act by Russia and the lack of US response as Obama's "fault."

"President Obama lost Crimea, just so you understand. This was long before I got there," Trump said.

The commander in chief also blamed Democrats for the immigration policy currently separating families at the border.

Trump is scheduled to spend Father's Day at the White House with planned calls to North Korea and French President Emanuel Macron.

 

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About The Author

Ben
Kennedy

Ben Kennedy is an Emmy Award-winning White House correspondent for CBN News in Washington, D.C. He has more than a decade of reporting experience covering breaking news nationwide. He's traveled cross country covering the President and scored exclusive interviews with lawmakers and White House officials. Kennedy spent seven years reporting for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami, Florida. While there he reported live from Kingston, Jamaica, as Hurricane Matthew hit the island. He was the first journalist to interview Diana Nyad moments after her historic swim from Cuba to Key West. He reported