AINSLEY EARHARDT (CO-HOST): Big news today. You said you didn't tape [former FBI Director] James Comey. Do you want to explain that? Why did you want him to believe you possibly did that? 

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well I didn't tape him. You never know what's happening when you see that the Obama administration, and perhaps longer than that, was doing all of this unmasking and surveillance. And you read all about it and I've been reading about it for the last couple of months about the seriousness and horrible situation with surveillance all over the place. And you've been hearing the word “unmasking,” a word you probably never heard before. So you never know what's out there, but I didn't tape and I don't have any tape and I didn't tape. But, when he found out that there may be tapes out there, whether it's governmental tapes or anything else, and who knows, I think his story may have changed. I mean, you'll have to take a look at that because then he has to tell what actually took place at the events. And my story didn't change. My story was always a straight story. My story was always the truth. But you'll have to determine for yourself whether or not his story changed. But, I did not tape. 

EARHARDT: That was a smart way to make sure he stayed honest in those hearings. 

TRUMP: Well, it wasn't very stupid, I can tell you that. He did admit that what I said was right. And if you look further back, before he heard about that, I think maybe he wasn't admitting that, so, you'll have to do a little investigative reporting to determine that. But, I don't think it'll be that hard. 

[…]

ED HENRY (CO-HOST): The left is going bonkers with some of those comments in the tweet yesterday and some of the comments to you and saying that Donald Trump was trying to intimidate James Comey by suggesting there may be tapes. Look, this is all going to be sorted out by Robert Mueller, special counsel. But what's wrong with saying, “Hey, you better tell the truth?”

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Well but also --

HENRY: Is that intimidation to say, “James Comey, I think you should tell the truth about what really happened?”

DOOCY: But remember when the Russians went into the Oval Office and then there was some suggestion about what was said and then Russian media said, “Hey, you want a transcript? We know exactly what was said in there,” and I don't think they were rolling a tape that anybody saw. Who knows what that was about.

EARHARDT: It was just saying just tell the truth. Tell the truth. Because Robert Mueller never said -- or James Comey had never said anything about the president not being under investigation until the president says there might be tapes. And then all of the sudden his story changes and he says, “You know what? I told him three times that he was not under investigation.” 

DOOCY: And that's all the president wanted James Comey and the others to say. “Look, you're telling everybody else I'm not under investigation. I can get stuff done with my administration. Just tell somebody, would you?” Well now we know because Comey testified.

EARHARDT: That's exactly right.

Previously:

Hannity calls Trump’s false threat of Comey tapes one of the “most brilliant … tweets in the history of mankind”

Donald Trump loves the safe space of Fox & Friends

How Trump uses Twitter to show his love for Fox News