President Donald Trump once called him “one tough cookie.”
Now, Florida political consultant and Trump confidante Roger Stone is returning the favor, saying Trump has the potential to surpass Ronald Reagan as one of the greatest presidents America has ever seen.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos Sunday morning, Stone discussed his relationship with the prolific DNC hacker Guccifer 2.0, his federal investigation and the American Health Care Act. Stone, who has been attacked for alleged connections to Wikileaks' Julian Assange and the Russians, also denied any involvement with either.
Stone, who has spent the last few months promoting a tell-all book on Trump, denied allegations he had spoken with Guccifer 2.0 about hacking John Podesta’s emails.
Stone said he exchanged private messages with Guccifer over Twitter last year -- messages which he has now made public.
He also rejects the notion he colluded with any Russian agents to coordinate Hillary Clinton’s email hackings.
“Our intelligence officials believe he was [a Russian agent,]” Stephanopoulous told Stone.
Stone denied his tweet exchange with Guccifer 2.0, who published the dossier of thousands of Democratic National Committee emails, constitutes collusion with the Russians.
“They also said...Hussein had weapons of mass destruction,” he said. “Just because the intelligence services say something, as we know from history, does not make it true.”
Stone called the interaction “benign.”
"I have had no contacts or collusions with the Russians," he said. "And my exchange with Guccifer 2.0, based on the content and the timing, most certainly does not constitute collusion. My brief exchange with him is six weeks after the hacking of the and publication of the DNC documents, which I'm accused of colluding with him on. In other words, I would need a time machine in order to collude."
The Florida lobbyist also told Stephanopoulous he had offered to testify before a congressional committee about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Speaking on the U.S. House of Representatives’ last-minute decision to pull the GOP’s new health care bill to replace Obamacare, Stone said he didn’t view it as a failure for Trump.
“It’s just a setback, not a defeat,” said Stone.
The decision not to move forward with the American Health Care Act, Stone explained, reminded him of obstacles another president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, faced during his time in office.
“The courts and Congress thwarted Franklin Roosevelt for most of his first term,” he said. “He just got back up and tried something else. If something failed, he tried something else. Trump is that kind of president.”
Ultimately, Stone said he wouldn't relent or turn his back on Trump, who he has known for over 30 years.
“I remain a steadfast supporter of Donald Trump," Stone said. "I think he has the potential to be one of our greatest presidents, perhaps even greater than Ronald Reagan."
View the full interview below.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
