Former Trump senior campaign staffer Mark Lotter decided to throw himself on the grenade by joining Ari Melber on The Beat to try to word salad his way around a believable explanation about why Trump asking (extorting) Ukraine for help in advance of election 2020 is not illegal (it is). To say that Lotter failed would be an understatement. I do not even think he believes the words that are coming out of his mouth.
LOTTER: That is not what the transcript says and you know better than that, Ari. He says do me a favor, look into the corruption, the details of the incident of the 2016 election meddling.
MELBER: Let me read to you from the Administration of Donald Trump describing what this is "The President wanted allegations of corruption involving an American official" -- that's Biden -- "to be investigated by Ukraine. Do me a favor, investigate Biden." Why are you denying that when we all can see out here in the light of day? Unlike Lewandowski, you said you weren't going to lie in this interview. I'm reading to you from what the White House put out this week.
LOTTER: And I'll reiterate to you what the actual phone call said. It talked about looking into Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 election, and it also talked about investigating the former Vice President of the United States --
MELBER: -- investigating Joe Biden as a rival. So you have a President running for re-election who has now admitted he's basically open to collusion, seeking it. But you're telling me tonight you're not going to do that because it's collusion. Let me play before you go the President's multiple statements which you're familiar with inviting foreign help that's such an issue on your 2020 campaign. Take a look.
(clip)
Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. If somebody called from a country, Norway, we have information on your opponent, oh, I think i'd want to hear it. President Trump says "I would like you to do us a favor", though, asking for Ukraine to investigate matters involving the origins of Special Counsel Mueller's inquiry. Later the President also asks Zelensky to look into Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
(end clip)
MELBER: I'll give you the final word, sir. How do you run for re-election with a President who's gone from as asked to no collusion to what we saw with our own eyes, welcoming the help of multiple foreign governments and collusion now?
LOTTER: As it relates to Ukraine, just because the former Vice President is running for President, his actions as Vice President deserve to be investigated. If there was any -- any impropriety in his son receiving money, it should be fully explored.
MELBER: So the President ran on investigating Hillary last time, and you're admitting tonight you're running on investigating Biden this time?
LOTTER: I think any actions by a former officeholder in their official capacity, if there is some allegation of impropriety it would need to be explored.
I am just going to say it. Mark Lotter is an awful campaign representative and a transparent and obvious liar. At least Lewandowski lied with a big dose of bravado and bluster. Lotter seems half-asleep and you just know that everything rolling off his tongue is a straight-up lie.
Having these Trump supporters on news shows is a waste of time and viewers are tired of it. We know they all lie. Let them stick with the FOX Propaganda Network so others like MSNBC can stick to the real news.
