advisers and russians during that interference in the u.s. election. the fbi is looking at it, and the senate and house intelligence committees are looking at it. so it does become a conflict issue. and to have the white house spokesman -- spokesperson there to dismiss the conflict of interest issue, saying, i don't believe there is. the question is, where is our legal leadership in the country? where's the comment from the attorney general or the deputy attorney general or the acting director of the fbi, frankly, as to whether there is a conflict? because it's really their judgment that is relevant here, not the spokesperson for the president. finally, i would say, in answer to your question, brook, is myself and my colleagues, when we've spoken to people who know comey, they say the idea that he would have told the president, you're not under investigation, just doesn't stand up to reason. so, again, accounts from inside that contradict the story we're getting from the white house. >> that said, the president says otherwise. here he was today with nbc's lester holt.