no, no. i got -- no, no, no. >> reporter: the president now blasting his one-time right-hand man, but publicly, he has nothing but love for his former campaign chairman paul manafort, convicted of defrauding the federal government and now facing life behind bars. >> he is evaluating all of his options at this point. >> reporter: the president tweeting, "feel very badly for paul manafort and his wonderful family. unlike michael cohen, he refused to break. make up stories in order to get a deal. such respect for a brave man." >> positive words there for paul manafort tonight. cecilia vega joins us from the white house. and cecilia, president trump refusing to rule out a pardon for manafort. >> reporter: david, so far, he says he is not thinking about a pardon for paul manafort, but in a matter of weeks, manafort goes back on trial, facing a second set of charges, potentially even more time behind bars. so, the pressure right now is on. does he plead guilty as part of a deal for leniency, david, or does he hold out hope for a presidential pardon?