.@RepSwalwell calls Trump's speech in the Rose Garden a "clownish performance" that was "unpresidential" pic.twitter.com/nxr02kVmTD
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) June 9, 2017
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) on Friday blasted President Trump for his speech alongside the president of Romania in the White House Rose Garden, calling it a "clownish performance by a reality show star."
Speaking to CNN's Jim Sciutto, Swalwell compared Trump's "unpresidential" performance to fired FBI Director James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee the previous day.
"It's a sad time in America. You compare what we saw yesterday: a sobering, serious testimony from James Comey about his interactions with the president, and then a clownish performance by a reality show star," Swalwell said.
"To tease out, whether or not he has tapes like a season finale is approaching of a reality show is very unpresidential, and it's really time he takes this seriously."
Swalwell was referring to Trump's refusal to say whether he has recordings of his conversations with Comey during a press conference Friday.
Trump shared a cryptic tweet last month suggesting that he had "tapes" of the meetings with Comey, details of which were shared with The New York Times following the FBI chief's ouster last month.
"Lordy, I hope there are tapes," Comey told lawmakers Thursday when asked about the president's tweet.
On Friday, Trump refused to answer yes or no when questioned about the existence of such tapes.
“I’ll tell you about that maybe sometime in the near future," Trump responded.