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The acting chief of staff answered that he "absolutely, positively" did not.

"I’m very happy working there," Mulvaney said.

"Did I have the perfect press conference? No," Mulvaney continued.

"I still think I'm doing a pretty good job as the chief of staff," he added, saying he thinks Trump recognizes that.

Democrats blasted the comments, which were a surprise given the administration's insistence there was no quid pro quo involving the aid and the investigations.

Mulvaney sought to walk back the remarks later on Thursday, and in the interview with Wallace he said never used the words "quid pro quo" and had not drawn a link between the two issues.