Updated 1:14 p.m. | President Donald Trump on Wednesday took direct aim at special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, saying his coming report is illegitimate because he was not elected by the American people.
"No collusion, no collusion. It's interesting that a man gets appointed by a deputy he writes a report. Never figured that one out," Trump said mockingly.
Yet, even while Trump used brief remarks as he departed the White House for an economic speech in Ohio to try and discredit Mueller's probe and report, the president said "I don't mind" if the Justice Department releases the former FBI chief's findings about Russian 2016 election interference and possible coordination with his campaign.
Trump said he has "no idea" when the report will be released, and said the decision will be up to Attorney General William Barr.
The president also danced around questions about trade talks with China and the European Union, saying he won't raise tariffs on European-made automobiles if the union will negotiate a "fair" trade deal with the United States.
And, in another unique moment of his presidency, Trump came to the mini-press conference with a visual aid in the form of two maps of Syria.