GOP senator defends Trump amid Parnas recording: 'Certainly the president meets a lot of people' | TheHill - The Hill

Republican Sen. James LankfordJames Paul Lankford Schiff sparks blowback with head on a 'pike' line Schiff closes Dems' impeachment arguments with emotional appeal to remove Trump Senate Republicans confident they'll win fight on witnesses MORE (Okla.) defended President TrumpDonald John Trump Kaine: Obama called Trump a 'fascist' during 2016 campaign Kaine: GOP senators should 'at least' treat Trump trial with seriousness of traffic court Louise Linton, wife of Mnuchin, deletes Instagram post in support of Greta Thunberg MORE Sunday amid newly released audio of a conversation between Trump and Lev Parnas that raises questions about whether Trump lied about not knowing the indicted businessman.

Lankford said the audio of the meeting of Trump and Parnas, a Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani Democrats see Mulvaney as smoking gun witness at Trump trial Pompeo lashes out at 'shameful' NPR reporter Trump legal team launches impeachment defense MORE associate, doesn't show that Trump was lying when he said he did not know the Ukrainian businessman.

"It's a dinner, 90 minutes of a dinner, hard to be able to say to the president who meets 1,000 people a day, 'OK, do you know this person who was at a dinner with you a year and a half ago?" Lankford said on CNN's "State of the Union."

CNN host Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul Tapper Steyer says 'grassroots organizing' in Nevada, South Carolina got him on debate stage Pentagon chief says he 'didn't see' intelligence suggesting Iran planned to attack four US embassies Ex-White House press, military officials call on Grisham to restart regular briefings MORE pressed Lankford, saying that the newly released audio shows Trump did not tell the truth.

Lankford responded by suggesting that it is reasonable for him to not recall meeting someone he had at least one lengthy conversation with.

"You meet a lot of people, I meet a lot of people, certainly the president meets a lot of people," Lankford said.

Republican Sen. James Lankford on Lev Parnas recording of President Trump, who claims he doesn't know the indicted businessman: "Certainly the President meets a lot of people" pic.twitter.com/uIvTwGEbR0
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 26, 2020

The recording from the 2018 meeting reportedly included discussions of dismissing then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie YovanovitchMarie Yovanovitch Washington Post: Pompeo 'gaslighting' NPR reporter Pompeo lashes out at 'shameful' NPR reporter Parnas says he has turned over tape of Trump calling for diplomat's firing MORE.

Parnas is indicted on campaign finance charges.

He provided information regarding communications about the pressure campaign in Ukraine to the House earlier this month. Trump has repeatedly denied knowing Parnas.

2020-01-26 14:51:24Z
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