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A12 NATION East Oregonian Saturday, June 15, 2019 Trump: Iran a ‘nation of terror,’ was behind tanker attacks saying the U.S. has been “very tough on sanctions.” He added: “They’ve been told in very strong terms we want to get them back to the table.” The tanker attacks coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Iran. Abe, a Trump ally, had taken a similar message encourag- ing a return to negotiations on his visit to Tehran. U.S. offi cials said on Thursday that the Trump administration was con- sidering a return to pro- viding naval escorts to vessels transiting through the maritime choke point. South Carolina Sen. Lind- sey Graham, a prominent ally of the Republican president, called on the U.S. to begin the escorts immediately in an inter- view with “Fox & Friends” earlier on Friday. Trump warned Iran not to close off the Strait of Hormuz, saying if it is closed it won’t be closed for long. Associated Press AP Photo/Evan Vucci Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and President Donald Trump listen as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf speaks during a meeting with governors on “workforce freedom and mobility” in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Thursday in Washington. Trump says he’d ‘of course’ tell FBI if he gets foreign dirt By ZEKE MILLER AND JONATHAN LEMIRE Associated Press WASHINGTON — Pres- ident Donald Trump said Friday that “of course” he would go to the FBI or the attorney general if a for- eign power offered him dirt about an opponent. It was an apparent walkback from his earlier comments that he might not contact law enforcement in such a situation. Trump, in an inter- view Friday with “Fox & Friends,” said he would look at the information in order to determine whether or not it was “incorrect.” But he added that “of course you give it to the FBI or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that.” Earlier in the week, Trump had told ABC that he would consider accepting information from an outside nation and might not contact law enforcement. His assertion that he would be open to accept- ing a foreign power’s help in his 2020 campaign had rico- cheted through Washington, with Democrats condemn- ing it as a call for further election interference and Republicans struggling to defend his comments. Asked by ABC News what he would do if Russia or another country offered him dirt on his election opponent, Trump said: “I think I’d want to hear it.” He added that he’d have no obligation to call the FBI. “There’s nothing wrong with listening.” Special counsel Robert Mueller painstakingly doc- umented Russian efforts to boost Trump’s campaign and undermine that of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. In a segment released Friday from the president’s interview earlier this week, Trump told ABC that “it doesn’t matter” what former White House counsel Don McGahn told investigators and that McGahn may have been confused when he told prosecutors he had been instructed to seek Mueller’s removal. McGahn was a crucial witness for Mueller, spend- ing hours with investiga- tors and offering detailed statements about episodes central to the special coun- sel’s investigation into pos- sible obstruction of justice. McGahn described how Trump directed him to press the Justice Department for Mueller’s fi ring by insisting that he raise what the pres- ident perceived as the spe- cial counsel’s confl icts of interest. Trump denied that account, saying, “The story on that very simply, No. 1, I was never going to fi re Mueller. I never suggested fi ring Mueller.” Asked why McGahn would have lied, Trump said, “Because he wanted to make himself look like a good lawyer. Or he believed it because I would constantly tell anybody that would lis- ten — including you, includ- ing the media — that Rob- ert Mueller was confl icted. Robert Mueller had a total confl ict of interest.” Though Trump tried to cast doubt on McGahn’s credibility, it is clear from the Mueller report that investigators took seriously his statements, which in many instances were accom- panied by contemporane- ous notes, and relied on his account to paint a portrait of the president’s conduct. It is also doubtful that McGahn, a lawyer, would have had any incentive to make a mis- statement given that lying to law enforcement is a crime and Mueller’s team charged multiple Trump aides with false statements. WASHINGTON — Calling Iran “a nation of terror,” President Don- ald Trump confi rmed the assessment of his top advisers and publicly accused the Persian Gulf nation of responsibility for recent attacks on oil tank- ers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Trump said on Friday that Iran’s culpability was “exposed” by the United States. While calling into Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” he said of the Thursday attacks, “Iran did do it.” While Iran has denied being involved in the attacks, U.S. Central Command released foot- age it said shows Iran’s Revolutionary Guard removing an unexploded limpet mine from the Japanese-owned tanker Kokuka Courageous. Trump did not pre- view any potential U.S. response to the attack, Tanker attacks in Strait of Hormuz Strait of of Strait Hormuz Hormuz IRAN June 13 attacks on two oil tankers Fujairah Dubai U.A.E. May 12 attacks on four oil tankers Gulf of Oman OMAN 30 miles PROGRESS EDITION We’re taking the pulse of our community through “deep dive” stories in the areas of: • Education • Healthcare • Labor/Industry • Economics • and more This special annual edition is a great opportunity to associate your business with positive news about the dynamic region where we live, work and play. Call or email your local rep for advertising info. Ask About FREE Color! 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