“It’s not clear how O’Donnell’s reporting made it to air, given that NBC News was unable to verify his reporting,” writes CNN’s Oliver Darcy of MSNBC’s latest iteration of the “Russia owns Trump” theory.
The network should just be honest. After 8 p.m. ET, and especially after 9 p.m. ET, it’s the wild west on their airwaves for anything having to do with Trump and Putin. It’s what that audience craves and so it’s what that audience shall have. If a friend of a friend of a friend claims he’s seen the pee tape, well, there you go. That’s a “source.” Run it.
I wonder if MSNBC will force Scary Larry to address this clusterfark on tonight’s show or if they’ll issue a statement stressing that they’ve been unable to confirm O’Donnell’s reporting and hope that that makes Trump’s legal team go away. From attorney Charles Harder’s letter to the network, via Darcy:
It’s damn near impossible to slander a public figure as public as the president but former prosecutor Renato Mariotti thinks Trump might have a case given the specificity of O’Donnell’s claim:
Trump's lawyer asserts that @Lawrence O'Donnell's statement that "Russian oligarchs" co-signed Trump's Deutsche Bank loans is false and that some publicly available bank documents prove that Trump is the sole guarantor.
This could be a viable defamation claim by Trump. https://t.co/pK7yMeHdzB
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 28, 2019
However, since Trump merely claims that he was the only guarantor and that narrow issue can be proven via bank documents, this could be very straightforward.
That doesn't mean that O'Donnell "recklessly disregarded the truth," which is what the law requires.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 28, 2019
O’Donnell said during last night’s show that “I want to stress that is a single source, that has not been confirmed by NBC News. I have not seen any documentation from Deutsche Bank that supports this and verifies this. This is just a single source who has revealed that to me.” Legal eagles, would that be enough to get a defamation suit dismissed? He’s not claiming it’s a fact that Russian oligarchs guaranteed Trump’s loans, he’s not claiming that he’s seen evidence to that effect, he’s not claiming that a second source has confirmed that it’s true. All he’s saying is that some guy says so … and, uh, that he trusts that guy enough to report what he said to the entire country.
Smells defame-y.
MSNBC will figure out a way to retreat somehow.
That’s the liberal view of the law. They think they can make random accusations and it is up to the accused to prove they didn’t do anything wrong. It never occurs to the left that if proof of the crime cannot be produced, the crime likely never happened.
Sue them into oblivion. If only that could BE O’Donnell’s Last Word.
That would would be the process where they would discuss if they will get sued for lying or not.
Being called a liar by CNN should be punishment enough, but I would like to see someone punished.
O’Donnell retracted the statement and apologized on his program Wednesday evening, acknowledging that the claims made by his unnamed source have not been substantiated with hard evidence.
It remains to be seen whether Trump or his FOX News supporters will retract and apologize for any of the countless bullshit claims they’ve made about Trump’s political opponents and critics over the years, also without a shred of evidence to back them up. I’ve never heard them retract a slanderous statement or admit they were wrong about anything. That would require a level of personal integrity and a journalistic standard to which they seem totally incapable of rising.
@Greg: Oh I will, name one.
@Greg:
Yeah, AFTER the threat of suit.
When Fox ran the story of Shirley Sherrod denying loans to white farmers, they retracted it within hours, as soon as they found out the tape they had was not the complete story. They didn’t have to wait to be sued or for anyone else to complain or threaten. Provide an example of something they got wrong which they just simply allow to stay in place. MSNBC and CNN do this on a regular basis. If they issue a retraction, it is done days later and usually by some subdued method.
Just a helpful hint, Greg; this is a situation like the Covington kids; the actions of your left is indefensible and you would be far, far better off not trying to justify and defend it. I know it’s your job, but you should leave this to someone like AJ.
I would accuse O’Donnell of being AJ were it not for the fact that O’Donnell actually admitted (under penalty of civil law) to his mistake. AJ simply runs away.
Notice how all of their “mistakes” are only against people they disagree with politically? But it accomplishes their objective which is to get another false narrative out there to their mindless audience who will now run around repeating this lie just like they’re still repeating the lie about PT calling NAZI’s “good people” in Charleston.
Sue MSNBC and this lying POS into bankruptcy.
@another vet:
I jump on the liberals when they make a mistake and now I have to jump on you.
The liberal media often makes mistakes in reporting on liberals. They reported Obama’s economy was booming, that Hillary was certain to win, that they and Democrats had positive evidence that Trump colluded with Russians and that Puto O’Rook was an up and coming viable leader. All of this is mistaken.
So, admit your error and apologize.
O’Donnell originated his rant on one, non-credible source. O’Donnell is not a journalist but a left wing activist with no credibility, similar of williams. the radicalized muslin terrorist obama wonted to be call “king” and not “Fuehrer”, wonder why?
@MOS # 8541:
It is simply SOOOOO easy. This probably supplies 90% of the left wing media’s content.
@Greg:
…because legal action was leveled against them. This is par for the course, and MSNBC has a ‘uge record of running stories they shouldn’t…just for Democratic political gain.
O’Donnell is a standard entertainer talking head; he has nothing to do with what he says or what he reports. MSNBC should be making the apology, as a network, instead of pretending they are journalistic in any way shape or form.
Just another of 80% plus news outlets that are propaganda outlets for the Left.
Fox? Meh.
@Deplorable Me: lol thats where the OK hand sign hoax came from, white power baby.
4Chan has proved, with this troll and with their OK hand sign troll that the Leftist media can be had.
These leftists in media are so anxious to “get Trump,” that they salivate over charges like this one.
It’s literally too good to fact check.
They seem to relish the idea that it will go halfway around the world before the truth can get out there.
So, even if they pass on lies, they are willing participants.
When Donald Trump was a candidate he opined about whether the media should have extra rights over regular citizen journalists and even private citizens.
There’s nothing in the Constitution giving them extra rights to defame or print/disseminate lies.
@Nan G: The left, INCLUDING the media, which is a vital component of the left, are so consumed with hatred that ANY tale that feeds their hate is believed and no caution is practiced… because there has been no penalty for accepting the lies.
Lies serve their agenda, not civility, truth, tolerance or reason. It is fascism.