NBC's Today Exposes Trump's Inconsistencies About His Relationship With Russia's Vladimir Putin

Trump To MSNBC In 2013: “I Do Have A Relationship [With President Putin]”

From the July 29 edition of NBC's Today:

Video file

HALLIE JACKSON: New fallout for encouraging espionage from Russia against Hillary Clinton. And now a new defense. 

[BEGIN AUDIO]

DONALD TRUMP: I was being sarcastic when I said it, but where are those emails?

[END AUDIO]

JACKSON: Sarcasm he says. National security experts not laughing. Trump's talk about Russia raising new questions about his relationship with its president, Vladimir Putin. 

[BEGIN VIDEO]

TRUMP: I never met Putin. I don't know who Putin is. He said one nice thing about me. 

[END VIDEO]

JACKSON: But here's what he said in 2013 to MSNBC's Thomas Roberts.

[BEGIN VIDEO]

TRUMP: I do have a relationship, and I can tell you that he's very interested in what we're doing here today. 

[END VIDEO]

JACKSON: A Trump aide maintaining the two men have never had a personal relationship, arguing nothing Trump has said publicly contradicts that. Those public comments including these in 2014 --

[BEGIN VIDEO]

TRUMP: I spoke indirectly and directly with President Putin, who could not have been nicer.

[END VIDEO]

JACKSON: -- and these in 2015.   

[BEGIN VIDEO]

TRUMP: And I got to know him very well because we were both on 60 Minutes

[END VIDEO]

Related:

NBC: Trump And Putin Tried To Meet In Moscow Three Years Ago: Source

Previously:

Editorial Boards Condemn Trump's “Beyond Reckless” Call For Russia To Hack Clinton's Emails

NBC's Nicolle Wallace: Trump's “Affinity For All Things Putin-esque Is Alarming”

Wash. Post Fact Check: Trump’s Claim That He Has “Nothing To Do With Russia” Earns “Four Pinocchios”