Washington - 30 May 2019

1. Mid, US President Donald Trump walking out of the residence toward reporters

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"Well I think it was the same as the report. There wasn't much change. It was to me, the same as the report. And there's no obstruction, you see what we're saying. There's no obstruction, there's no collusion, there's no nothing. It's nothing but a witch hunt. A witch hunt by the media and the Democrats, they're partners and it keeps going. I thought it was finished when the report was released but it goes on. And to me it was the same frankly as the report and he said basically it was the same as the report. "

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3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"I think he is a total conflicted person. I think Muller is a true never Trumper. He's somebody that dislikes Donald Trump. He's somebody that didn't get a job that he requested that he wanted very badly. And then he was appointed and despite that and despite 40 million dollars, 18 Trump haters, including people that worked for Hillary Clinton and some of the worst human beings on earth, they got nothing. It's pretty amazing."

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4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

(Reporter: Do you believe that Russia helped you get elected?)

"No Russia did not help me get elected.  You know who got me elected, you know who got me elected? I got me elected.  Russia didn't help me at all. Russia, If anything I think helped the other side. What you ought to ask is this. Do you think the media helped Hillary Clinton get elected? She didn't make it. But you take a look at collusion between Hillary Clinton and the media, you take a look at collusion between Hillary Clinton and Russia. She had more to do in the campaign with Russia than I did. I had nothing to do. And by the way, that's one other thing. If you look this was all about Russia, Russia, Russia. They don't talk about Russia anymore because it turned out to be a hoax. It was all a hoax and then they say gee he fought back. Isn't that terrible. He fought back. Of course I fight back because it was a false accusation, a totally false accusation and it's a disgrace and it's a very ... it's a very sad period for this country and I think in the end I will consider what's happening now to be one of my greatest achievements, exposing this corruption."

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4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"(Reporter: Do you think they are going to impeach you?)

I don't see how.  They can because they're possibly allowed although I can't imagine the courts allowing it. I've never gone into it. I never thought that would even be possible to be using that word. To me it's a dirty word. The word impeach it's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word and it had nothing to do with me. So I don't think so because there was no crime. You know it's high crimes and not with or it's high crimes and misdemeanors. There was no high crime and there was no misdemeanor. So how do you impeach based on that?  And it came out that there was nothing to do with Russia. The whole thing is a scam. It's one of it's a giant presidential harassment and honestly. I hope it goes down as one of my greatest achievements. Because I've exposed corruption, I've exposed corruption like nobody knew existed."

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus117825

President Donald Trump blasted special counsel Robert Mueller on Thursday, saying he's a "never Trumper" who led a biased investigation on Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn as he left for Colorado, Trump also said that he's been tough on Russia and that Moscow would have preferred Hillary Clinton as president.

The special counsel's report said Russian interference in the election helped Trump defeat Clinton.

Trump harshly criticized Mueller a day after Mueller pointedly rebutted Trump's repeated claims that he was cleared and that the two-year inquiry was merely a "witch hunt."

The president also uttered mixed messages, sending a morning tweet saying he had "nothing to do with Russia helping me get elected," then minutes later, told reporters: "Russia did not help me get elected."

Trump said Mueller, who is a Republican, was "conflicted" and should have investigated law enforcement officials who the president claims tried to undermine his presidency.

Trump also called impeachment a "dirty word" and said he couldn't imagine the courts allowing him to be impeached. "I don't think so because there's no crime," he said.