George Stephanopoulos had a mishap on the set of ABC’s This Week on Sunday when Matt Schlapp of the American Conservative Union (and the lone conservative on the panel) clashed with liberal ABC commentator Roland Martin during the Powerhouse Roundtable. And after hearing Schlapp’s opinion about the plethora of investigations into President Trump, host and Clinton lackey George Stephanopoulos was so upset he accidentally flung his microphone under the desk.
In the lead-up to Stephanopoulos’s microphone drop, an angry Martin unloaded on the President by comparing him to murderous mob boss John Gotti. “But George, the biggest issue for Mulvaney and for his party: you have a liar in the Oval Office,” Martin began. “I'm laughing this week at them attacking Cohen, saying, ‘Oh my God, he's a liar.’ It's sort of like John Gotti saying, ‘Oh my God, you can't believe Sammy the Bull because believe me.’”
“No, both of you are murderers. So, Donald Trump has been a lying president. And that is what he is,” he added. It was Schlapp’s response to Martin that set Stephanopoulos off.
Trying to be more even-keeled than his fellow panelist, Schlapp noted that he understood “people want to get right to every aspect of Donald Trump.” “But it's important to remember,” he added. “[A]nd I think it came out in your interview [with Michael Cohen] – that all of these – all these investigations are offshoots over this question about whether or not the President did something wrong with colluding with Putin.”
“That's not true, Matt,” Stephanopoulos declared off camera as the sound of static took over. Almost immediately, he informed viewers: “I just lost my microphone.” The camera cut to him reaching under the desk as an argument between Martin and Schlapp kicked off:
STEPHANOPOULOS: That's not true, Matt.
SCHLAPP: It is true.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I just lost my microphone.
MARTIN: Matt, Matt, Matt, remember, this is the President saying he knew nothing about the payments but now he does.
SCHLAPP: Last time I checked I was talking.
MARTIN: Yes, but don't lie like Trump lies.
SCHLAPP: Please.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Hold on.
While Stephanopoulos was busy struggling with the microphone, Schlapp sought to clarify his previous point. “All of these investigations, the root of it is a special counsel that what it appears has happened is the scope had broadened whether or not they handed something off to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, whether or not there were people talking with legal officials in the State of New York,” he said.
“It’s being done on purpose,” Schlapp continued. “It is everything they can possibly do to politically weaken the man. The American people -- if they can't prove collusion, then American people who are fair will say it's nothing but politics.”
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s This Week
December 16, 2018
9:50:27 a.m. Eastern(…)
ROLAND MARTIN: But George, the biggest issue for Mulvaney and for his party: you have a liar in the Oval Office. You have a man who lies about lying. I'm laughing this week at them attacking Cohen, saying, “Oh my God, he's a liar.” It's sort of like John Gotti saying, “Oh my God, you can't believe Sammy the Bull because believe me.” No, both of you are murderers. So, Donald Trump has been a lying president. And that is what he is.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You heard the distinction Rudy Giuliani trying to draw today, said, it’s not the same as long as it's not under oath.
[Crosstalk]
MATT SCHLAPP: I know we have a big raucous political disagreement in the country. And I know that people want to get right to every aspect of Donald Trump. But it's important to remember – and I think it came out in your interview – that all of these – all these investigations are off shoots over this question about whether or not the President did something wrong with colluding with Putin.
STEPHANOPOULOS: That's not true, Matt.
SCHLAPP: It is true.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I just lost my microphone.
MARTIN: Matt, Matt, Matt, remember, this is the President saying he knew nothing about the payments but now he does.
SCHLAPP: Last time I checked I was talking.
MARTIN: Yes, but don't lie like Trump lies.
SCHLAPP: Please.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Hold on.
SCHLAPP: All of these investigations, the root of it is a special counsel that what it appears has happened is the scope had broadened whether or not they handed something off to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, whether or not there were people talking with legal officials in the State of New York. The idea that every aspect of Donald Trump's life is under investigation is not an accident. It’s being done on purpose. It is everything they can possibly do to politically weaken the man. The American people -- if they can't prove collusion, then American people who are fair will say it's nothing but politics.
(…)
