U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the news media about the federal conviction of his former presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort as the president arrives for a campaign event in Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. August 21, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Reuters) - President Donald Trump tried to distance himself from his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s conviction on Tuesday on bank and tax fraud charges, saying it did not involve him.

“I feel very badly for Paul Manafort,” Trump said as he arrived in West Virginia for a rally on Tuesday night. “It does not involve me,” he said.

“It has nothing to do with Russian collusion, we continue the witch hunt,” Trump said.

(This version of the story has been refiled to fix Trump quote in headline and paragraph two)