Watch Chris Cuomo try to get Kellyanne Conway to admit Trump lied about paying off women for 8 minutes
President Trump pretty clearly and demonstrably lied about paying off porn actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal in the months before the 2016 presidential election. But you didn't hear that from White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, despite Chris Cuomo's best efforts on CNN Thursday night.
Cuomo began by noting that President Trump's former divorce lawyer, Jay Goldberg, told him Wednesday night that he doesn't think Trump faces any criminal exposure from the Paul Manafort conviction or Michael Cohen guilty pleas, but Trump obviously lied about Daniels and McDougal and the public will hold him to account. Does Conway agree? "The president has said that he has not lied, and the president has said no charges were filed against him in either the Manafort or the Cohen matters," she said, and also, where's proof of Russian collusion? "You've got to ask [Robert] Mueller, he's not done with his investigation," Cuomo said.
"The truth is, [Trump] lied about this, you guys should own it, and move forward," Cuomo tried again. Conway slammed CNN, played the "don't embarrass your mother" card, countered the damning Cohen-Trump tape by asking about the Cohen-Cuomo tape, and when Cuomo circled back to the lie, she returned to Russia. "Where in the Manafort trial is Russia-collusion-Trump?" she asked. "I don't care," Cuomo said. "The president lied about what he knew about these women, he should not lie to the American people in their face time and again." Conway repeated that Trump says he isn't lying.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"You should admit he's lying, and you don't, and that's why people don't trust you," Cuomo said. "Maybe your audience doesn't," Conway said. On that they could both be right.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
