CNN's Alisyn Camerota should have seen this coming a mile away. But for some inexplicable reason, she walked right into Corey Lewandowski's attack.
Camerota interviewed Lewandowski during the New Day' 8 am EDT hour this morning. The topic, of course, was his appearance yesterday before the House Judiciary Committee. At one point, Camerota's questioning turned to Lewandowski's response to the Democrat committee counsel in which he said that he tells the truth when under oath, but feels no obligation to be candid with the media.
When Camerota tried to pin Lewandowski down on his truth-telling standard, asking if he only feels the obligation to tell the truth when under oath, he retorted:
"Which is clearly more than some of your contributors. As you know, Andy McCabe, who has a criminal referral, who's a CNN contributor, was not accurate under oath. He has a criminal referral for lying to the FBI, for lying to the Inspector General on three separate occasions. But Alisyn, you and your network continue to use him as a contributor, who has been lying under oath! And so, if you're going to hold me to a standard, hold your own employees and contributors to that same standard."
Camerota claimed that they could devote "lots of other segments" to those issues, but that for now, she wanted to focus exclusively on Lewandowski. Sure: all those CNN segments on the network's ethical standards in employing accused liar McCabe will happen precisely two Sundays after never.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
New Day
9/18/19
8:10 am EDTALISYN CAMEROTA: There's another moment that’s gotten a lot of attention. Where you basically admitted the conditions with which you tell the truth. So leet’s play this moment.
COREY LEWANDOWSKI [clip from 9/17 committee testimony]: I’m a truth teller every time I stand before Congress, or a committee of jurisdiction, and raise my hand and swear to God under oath.
BARRY BERKE [Democrat committee counsel]: My question, sir, is when you said the President never asked you to get involved with Mr. Sessions —
LEWANDOWSKI: I have no obligation to have a candid conversation with the media whatsoever, just like they have no obligation to cover me honestly. And they do it inaccurately all the time.
BERKE: So you’re admitting that on national television you were lying there?
LEWANDOWSKI: What I'm saying is, they’ve been inaccurate on many occasions and perhaps I was inaccurate that time.
CAMEROTA: Okay, Corey, so just to be clear. You only feel the obligation to tell the truth when you’re under oath?
LEWANDOWSKI: Which is clearly more than some of your contributors. As you know, Andy McCabe, who has a criminal referral, who's a CNN contributor, was not accurate under oath. He has a criminal referral for lying to the FBI, for lying to the Inspector General on three separate occasions. But Alisyn, you and your network continue to use him as a contributor, who has been lying under oath! And so, if you're going to hold me to a standard, hold your same employees and contributors to that same standard. I have no criminal referrals.
CAMEROTA: Corey, just a simple question. It’s just a simple question about —
LEWANDOWSKI: Alisyn, excuse me. Excuse me --
CAMEROTA: Answer the question.
LEWANDOWSKI: I’ll be happy to answer your question and I’ll be held to the same standard as the employees and contributors to CNN which means —
CAMEROTA: What are you talking about?
LEWANDOWSKI: When I am under oath, I will tell the truth. That can't be said, the truth, as James Comey, or Andrew McCabe, who's employed by CNN.
