WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider pardoning his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted on Tuesday of bank and tax fraud, according to a Fox News reporter who interviewed Trump.
Fox News reporter Ainsley Earhardt said Trump told her in an interview on Wednesday that "he would consider" pardoning Manafort.
"I think he feels bad for Manafort. They were friends," Earhardt said in an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity" programme on Wednesday night.
Fox News has been airing excerpts of the interview with Trump, which is scheduled to be shown in its entirety on Thursday morning. The excerpts have not included a clip of Trump saying he would consider pardoning Manafort.
Manafort was convicted on Tuesday of two counts of bank fraud, five counts of tax fraud and one charge of failing to disclose foreign bank accounts.
In a tweet on Wednesday about the verdict, Trump called Manafort a "brave man" and said, "I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family."
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Toni Reinhold)