WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Russia helped him win the 2016 election, a comment that contradicted months of angry denials.
Trump made the remark in a tweet on May 30, but reversed himself not long after when pressed by reporters.
The U.S. president has repeatedly denied that Russian interference helped enable his victory over his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
"I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected," Trump wrote in his tweet.
Trump was later questioned by reporters outside the White House about the tweet and he insisted that Russian interference had no impact on the election.
‘’No, Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia didn’t help me at all," he said.
Trump's remarks came one day after U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller gave his first public remarks since he took charge of an FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and interactions between Trump associates and Russian officials.
Mueller said during the May 29 news conference that Russia made "multiple, systemic efforts" to interfere in the election campaign.
Trump Says Russia Helped Him Win Election, But Then Reverses Himself
U.S. President Donald J. Trump speaks to the media on May 30.