Story highlights Donald Trump admitted he had not seen video of a US plane delivering cash to Iran

That claim was part of Trump's criticism of the US deal with the country

Washington (CNN) Donald Trump backed off a false claim Friday morning, admitting he had not seen a video of a $400 million payment being unloaded from a US plane in Iran.

The Republican nominee had claimed at rallies twice this week that such a video existed, saying in Maine on Thursday that it was provided by Iranians "to embarrass our president because we have a president who's incompetent."

What Trump had actually seen in news reports was video of three American prisoners who Iran had released arriving in Geneva, Switzerland.

Trump admitted his error in an early-morning tweet Friday, without actually saying he was wrong.

"The plane I saw on television was the hostage plane in Geneva, Switzerland, not the plane carrying $400 million in cash going to Iran!" he tweeted.

The plane I saw on television was the hostage plane in Geneva, Switzerland, not the plane carrying $400 million in cash going to Iran! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2016

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