Donald Trump is now saying that he's never met or talked on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin
In the past Trump said he spoke 'indirectly and directly' with the Russian leader during a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow
He also talked about being Putin's 'stablemate' on 60 Minutes - even though their interviews were filmed in different cities
Now, amid reports that Russians may have hacked the DNC, Trump says 'I don't know what it means by "having a relationship"'
Donald Trump continued to distance himself from Russian leader Vladimir Putin – amid reports that the Russians are responsible for the Democratic National Committee hack – by saying he was unclear about the definition of 'relationship,' something he assured voters he had with Russia's president in the past.
'Well, I don't know what it means by "having a relationship,"' Trump told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos after the journalist pointed out that 'on three different occasions' Trump had linked himself to Putin.
Throughout the interview, which was taped Friday, Trump echoed comments he made Wednesday insisting again and again, 'I have no relationship with Putin. I have no relationship with Putin,' adding that he had nothing to do with the GOP's platform becoming more Russian-friendly.
Stephanopoulos pointed out that the Republican nominee hasn't always kept Putin at an arm's length away, with Trump responding that the two men have complimented each other in the past, but never met or spoken on the phone.
'I have no relationship with Putin. I don't think I've ever met him. I never met him. I don't think I've ever met him,' Trump said.
Stephanopoulos interjected with: 'You would know it if you did, wouldn't you?'
'I think so. Yeah, I think so. So I've –I don't think I've ever met him. I mean, if he's in the same room or something, but I don't think so,' Trump said.
Trump also answered in the negative when asked if he's ever spoken with Putin on the phone.
'I have never spoken to him on the phone. I've spoken – when we had the Miss Universe contest a number of years ago, we had Miss Universe in Moscow, in the Moscow area,' Trump pointed out. 'He was invited. He wanted to come. He wasn't able to come.'
'That wouldn't been a time when I wouldn't met him,' Trump added.
For instance, at a National Press Club luncheon in 2014 Trump said, 'I own Miss Universe, I was in Russia, I was in Moscow recently and I spoke, indirectly and directly, with President Putin, who could not have been nicer, and we had a tremendous success.'
Trump used the claim to hit President Obama for being weak, Mother Jones pointed out.
'The show was live from Moscow and we had tremendous success there and it was amazing, but to do well, you have to get the other side to respect you, and he does not respect our president, which is very sad,' Trump said at the time.
He then added that he was unclear about the definition of 'relationship.'
'I mean, he was saying very good things about me. But I don't have a relationship with him. I didn't meet him. I haven't spent time with him. I didn't have dinner with him. I didn't go hiking with him,' Trump said.
'I don't know – I wouldn't know him from Adam except I see his pictures, and I would know what he looks like,' Trump said.
Trump had also previously claimed on the debate stage that he had a relationship with Putin because the two men had appeared on the same episode of '60 Minutes.'
'I got to know him very well because we were both on "60 Minutes,"' said Trump during November's Fox Business Network debate. 'We were stablemates, and we did very well that night,' the billionaire added.
Trump revised that comment when taking to George Stephanopoulos.
'We did "60 Minutes" together,' Trump said, adding, 'By the way, not together together, meaning he was probably shot in Moscow ... and I was shot in New York.'
'But that's the thing,' Stephanopoulos said.
'No, just so you understand, he said very nice things about me. But I have no relationship with him,' Trump responded.
Democrats, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Vice President Joe Biden claimed during this week's Democratic National Convention that a Trump win would also be a win for Putin.
This morning, in an interview with Fox News Sunday, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton articulated the link between Russian hackers and Putin in the recent leaks coming out of the DNC.
Trump suggested Democrats were trying to spook voters to their side.
'They only fear one thing – losing the election,' he said.
Trump suggested that Putin's complimentary nature toward Trump would be a good thing for the United States while also arguing that he wouldn't 'bow' to Russian moves like the annexation of Crimea.
'Hey George. You know me pretty well, I don't bow, OK? I don't bow. But if we can have a good relationship with Russia, and if Russia would help us get rid of ISIS, frankly, as far as I'm concerned you're talking about tremendous amounts of money and lives and everything else.'
'That would be a positive thing, not a negative,' Trump continued.
When Stephanopoulos asked the businessman about the GOP softening the platform to be more pro-Russian, Trump denied involvement.
'I wasn't involved in that. Honestly, I was not involved,' he said.
He also pushed back on Stephanopoulos suggesting that he had business links with the Russians, saying he might have sold condos to Russians, but he owes Putin's countrymen no money.
Stephanopoulos then pointed out that the only way Americans can be 100 percent assured of this would be to release his tax returns.
Like he's said in the past, Trump explained that several years of filings were being audited.
'But I will say, when I'm finished with the audit, I'll do it,' Trump committed.
