Deflated: MSNBC Host Backpedals, Admits He Peddled Dubious Claims

Nicholas Fondacaro | August 28, 2019
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***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***

MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell was overjoyed Tuesday night, as The Last Word was coming on the air, because according to an unnamed source that talked to no one but him, President Trump’s loan from Deutsche Bank was allegedly co-signed by Russian oligarchs. It was reporting that had to be retracted less than 24 hours after it’s utterance on national TV because its validity could not be verified.

The shakiness of the accusation was apparent all day Wednesday since it was not a talking point on any of MSNBC’s programs. Then, with the threat of a defamation lawsuit from the President’s lawyers baring down on the network, O’Donnell was forced to admit his folly in an embarrassing tweet:

Last night I made an error in judgment by reporting an item about the president’s finances that didn’t go through our rigorous verification and standards process. I shouldn’t have reported it and I was wrong to discuss it on the air. I will address the issue on my show tonight.

But just a few hours prior, O’Donnell was pitching it to fellow MSNBC host and conspiracy theorist, Rachel Maddow as the next thing to blow up Trump’s presidency. And Maddow was stunned by what she heard.

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