Wednesday, MSNBC’s “The Beat” host Ari Melber threatened Donald Trump’s campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski with a “defamation situation.”
Melber said, “When you were on here, we asked you point-blank about these reports that Donald Trump as president had tried to use you as an improper cutout to shut down an open federal probe which is a big deal. We have headlines on that. We asked you about it at the time. And when you went in and were facing the House investigation, it also came up, including our interview.”
After playing clips of Lewandowski being interviewed on MSNBC and by Congress, Melber said, “Do you want to state for the record that what you stated on air was false? People are listening to you about the campaign and why should they believe you if you’re lying about other things?”
Lewandowski said, “Are you going to state that Donald Trump had a bandage on his ear just for spectacle? Are you going to say that was false? The guy got shot in the head and you said the only reason, I can read you the quote if you want, you said it was just for spectacle, so if you want to apologize?”
Melber said, “I know what you’re referring to, and at the end of the interview, we can touch base on that. I will return to that.”
After more back and forth, Melber said, “I quoted a New York Times article that said, ‘At the convention, Donald Trump was his own biggest prop.’ It was a New York Times quote about how he had become such an important figure in rebounding from what was a horrific assassination attempt.”
Lewandowski said, “So you didn’t say, ‘This bandage was a prop’?”
Melber said, “I did not say that. Mr. Lewandowski, I did not say that. That is a false quote.”
Lewandowski said, “I have it right here.”
Melber said, “What you have is a false quote. I’m putting you on notice if you continue to repeat falsely that I said that, you will be potentially in a defamation situation, because I didn’t say that.”
Lewandowski said, “You should apologize to the president for that.”
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