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.
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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.
-
Tuck in to British fusion cuisine
The Week Recommends The trend for combining classics from two food cultures can result in dishes that are doubly delicious
By The Week UK Published
-
Labour and nuclear weapons: a turbulent ideological history
The Explainer From the 1940s to Keir Starmer, the party leadership has zigzagged in and out of love with the bomb
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Trump trial transcends sex, money and politics'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
Speed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress honors real-life Rosie the Riveters
Speed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Outgunned Ukraine could fall, US general warns
Speed Read Without more US aid, Ukraine is at risk of losing the war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
House GOP scuttles FISA vote at Trump's urging
Speed Read Right-wing lawmakers blocked Speaker Mike Johnson's surveillance bill
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden pitches student loan forgiveness for millions
Speed Read The latest relief plan would benefit nearly 30 million borrowers
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Israel's 'tactical' withdrawal
Speed Read Six months after the Hamas attack, Israel announced it was withdrawing some troops from Gaza
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
No Labels, no presidential candidate this year
Speed Read The group has abandoned its efforts to run a third-party campaign
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published