'Be a reporter!' Trump ally lashes out after analyst declares statement 'absolutely false'
A Washington Post analyst irked a former Trump aide Thursday evening when he shook his head on CNN and delivered a brutal fact check on the Republican over illegal immigration.
Marc Lotter, former strategic communications director for Donald Trump sparred with analyst Philip Bump on CNN's "OutFront" with Erin Burnett.
Lotter applauded that former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and Vice President Kamala Harris stood side-by-side and said it's a "great sign" for the United States and its "maturity" that two women can rise to the top of the ticket.
Even so, Lotter then accused Harris of letting 13,000 convicted murderers who are illegal immigrants into the country. The claim prompted Bump to forcefully shake his head in disagreement.
"All of these things are very real and [women] are now living with the consequences of that election," Lotter said. "And I think quite a few of them are going to go back and say, 'I may not love how he tweeted, but definitely life was better under Donald Trump.'"
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The remark drew an immediate response from Democratic strategist Aisha Moodie-Mills, who retorted, "No woman is buying that argument at all," she said, shaking her head.
Bump, meanwhile, pushed back even harder.
"First of all, what Mr. Lotter said about the 13,000 immigrants is absolutely false and it's important to point that out," he said.
"It came from ICE, Phil, be a reporter," fired back Lotter, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "Be a reporter!"
"It's not true, it's absolutely not true," Bump insisted. "Those were people who were in the country for decades. Many of them are in custody currently because they've been charged with murders. I've actually done the reporting on this, so you can trust me, viewers."
"Democracy dies in darkness, Phil," Lotter retorted, parroting the Post's slogan.
"That's right! That's why we're honest with our viewers and with our readers," Bump said.
"Ok," replied Lotter, laughing and shaking his head.
Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler on Thursday examined the origins of the claim and deemed it "outrageously false" and even a "figment of [Trump's] imagination."
The reality, writes Kessler, is that the vast majority of the murderers in question have been incarcerated for years, with many having been in prison since before Trump's first term.
Watch the clip below or at this link.