President Donald Trump on Saturday said he did not think it would be inappropriate to ask a FBI director for “loyalty.”

“I don’t think it’s inappropriate,” Trump told Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro, responding to a report by the New York Times that he asked former FBI Director James Comey in January to pledge loyalty to him.

“Did you ask that question?” Pirro asked.

“No, no I didn’t, but I don’t think it would be a bad question to ask. I think loyalty to the country, loyalty to the United States is important, you know, I mean, it depends on how you define loyalty, number one,” Trump said. “Number two, I don’t know how that got there, because I didn’t ask that question.”

Pressed by Pirro on his suggestion that he recorded his conversations with Comey, Trump said: “That I won’t talk about. I can’t talk about that.”

“All I want is for Comey to be honest, and I hope he will be, and I’m sure he will be,” Trump said. “I hope.”