In Defying the Odds, we describe Trump's penchant for getting in trouble.
President Trump slammed James Comey as a “leaker” and a liar on Friday — and committed “100%” to testify under oath to refute the former FBI director’s allegations that he directed him to drop a probe into a top aide.Trump has broken many commitments so we cannot assume that he will follow through and testify under oath. If he does, he could expose himself to a charge of perjury. Democrats are eager to put him in such a position.
They should curb their enthusiasm. Trump has been under oath before.
A year ago, NBC reported:
Donald Trump claims to have a world-class memory, but it certainly wasn't on display during his deposition for a lawsuit over Trump University.
"I don't remember," Trump told lawyers 35 times during his December testimony, which was released on Wednesday.The year before that, ABC reported:
Though he touts his outstanding memory, when Donald Trump was asked under oath about his dealings with a twice-convicted Russian émigré who served prison time and had documented mafia connections, the real estate mogul was at a loss.
Even though the man, Felix Sater, had played a role in a number of high-profile Trump-branded projects across the country.
“If he were sitting in the room right now, I really wouldn't know what he looked like,” Trump testified in a video deposition for a civil lawsuit two years ago.So he ducked hard questions by having convenient memory lapses. Where did he get such an idea?
Let's go to the audiotape -- a meeting of President Nixon, John Dean, and H.R. Haldeman, March 21, 1973:
Dean told Nixon that a Watergate figure had committed perjury. Nixon responded: "Perjury is an awful hard rap to prove. He could say that I (pause) hem, well, go-ahead." Later, they discussed how to behave in front of a grand jury.
DEAN: But you can't...you're...very high risk in perjury situation.
PRESIDENT: That's right. Just be damned sure you say I don't...
HALDEMAN: Yeah...
PRESIDENT: remember; I can't recall, I can't give any honest, an answer to that that I can recall. But that's it.
