トランプ米大統領は９日、側近への捜査中止をＦＢＩのコミー前長官に要請したとする同氏の米議会での証言を「そんなことは言っていない」と否定した。コミー氏に忠誠を求めたことも否定した（６月４日日経夕刊より）。
この問題を実際に使われた「言葉」から解説してみたいと思います。
６月４日日経夕刊が報じた部分は現地報道の１つでは次のように述べています（下線は著者が引いたもの）。
‘I didn't say that’: Trump denies asking Comey to drop Flynn investigation or for loyalty pledge（これが見出しです）
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he tried to block an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, effectively accusing James Comey — the FBI's former director — of lying under oath to Congress.
Comey delivered scathing remarks about the president on Thursday at a congressional hearing and testified that Trump had asked him to drop a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into former aide Michael Flynn and his alleged ties to Russia.
（中略）
Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, "I didn't say that."
The reporter then asked, "So he lied about that?"
"Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that," Trump replied.
In his testimony, Comey also said Trump asked him in January to pledge loyalty to the president, an unusual request that would put in doubt the independence of the FBI.
"I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?" Trump said at joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
（後略）
＜解説＞
�� "I didn't say that."について
逐語訳は「私はそんなことは言わなかった」です。トランプ大統領の弁護士と入念に打ち合わせをした上での言葉だとおもいます。「say」は基本的には漫画の吹き出しに書かれているイメージですので、大げさに言えば１語異なっても"I didn't say that."と言い張ることはできます。
Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, "I didn't say that." 質問は「調査を中止するように命じたか？」です。コミー氏は議会証言でトランプ大統領は「dictate」「order」という言葉は使わないで「hope」という言葉を使ったが、大統領と２人だけの会話であり「命令と受け取った」と述べていますので、トランプ氏の"I didn't say that."は全く矛盾しません。しかし次に記者に「それではコミー氏は嘘をついているのか？」という質問に「そうだ彼は嘘をついている」とは答えないで "Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that,"という返事をしています。"I didn't say that."は練りに練った答弁のような気がします。
�� 「コミー氏の忠誠を求めたかどうか」
前に本ブログにも書きましたがトランプ氏は “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty.”といったことはコミー氏の証言にあります。“I need your loyalty to me. I expect your loyalty to me.”とは「言っていません」。"I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?"と述べたようですが、”Then what did you exactly say to him?” と質問したくなります。
この問題を実際に使われた「言葉」から解説してみたいと思います。
６月４日日経夕刊が報じた部分は現地報道の１つでは次のように述べています（下線は著者が引いたもの）。
‘I didn't say that’: Trump denies asking Comey to drop Flynn investigation or for loyalty pledge（これが見出しです）
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he tried to block an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, effectively accusing James Comey — the FBI's former director — of lying under oath to Congress.
Comey delivered scathing remarks about the president on Thursday at a congressional hearing and testified that Trump had asked him to drop a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into former aide Michael Flynn and his alleged ties to Russia.
（中略）
Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, "I didn't say that."
The reporter then asked, "So he lied about that?"
"Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that," Trump replied.
In his testimony, Comey also said Trump asked him in January to pledge loyalty to the president, an unusual request that would put in doubt the independence of the FBI.
"I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?" Trump said at joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
（後略）
＜解説＞
�� "I didn't say that."について
逐語訳は「私はそんなことは言わなかった」です。トランプ大統領の弁護士と入念に打ち合わせをした上での言葉だとおもいます。「say」は基本的には漫画の吹き出しに書かれているイメージですので、大げさに言えば１語異なっても"I didn't say that."と言い張ることはできます。
Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, "I didn't say that." 質問は「調査を中止するように命じたか？」です。コミー氏は議会証言でトランプ大統領は「dictate」「order」という言葉は使わないで「hope」という言葉を使ったが、大統領と２人だけの会話であり「命令と受け取った」と述べていますので、トランプ氏の"I didn't say that."は全く矛盾しません。しかし次に記者に「それではコミー氏は嘘をついているのか？」という質問に「そうだ彼は嘘をついている」とは答えないで "Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that,"という返事をしています。"I didn't say that."は練りに練った答弁のような気がします。
�� 「コミー氏の忠誠を求めたかどうか」
前に本ブログにも書きましたがトランプ氏は “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty.”といったことはコミー氏の証言にあります。“I need your loyalty to me. I expect your loyalty to me.”とは「言っていません」。"I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?"と述べたようですが、”Then what did you exactly say to him?” と質問したくなります。
