MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews Wednesday night claimed Donald Trump paid off women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.
It has been widely reported over the last year that Donald Trump paid for nondisclosure agreements with porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The NDAs were about “consensual alleged affairs,” and had nothing to do with sexual assault. This didn’t stop Matthews from linking the two and claiming, “He paid off women who he knew had a case against him.”
It has not been reported that Trump paid off the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.
Associated Press White House reporter Jonathan Lemire told Matthews, “[Trump] has begun to identify with him, particularly on these allegations. He has been saying, time and again, he does not think these allegations are factual. And he compares them to the same sort of claims of sexual misconduct, mistreatment of women that were levied against him during the campaign, charges he, of course, has completely denied.”
Matthews interrupted shouting over Lemire, “Yeah, but that’s illogical, because he paid off women who he knew had a case against him. Come on, this doesn’t inform him that the women aren’t telling the truth. His experience should inform him that they are, because he paid them to shut up!”
Even Lemire didnt seem to want to go along with that accusation and replied to Matthews, “Well, his public stance has never been that, of course. He does not acknowledge that he does that.”