New York Times reporter clashes with CNN anchor over Trump check story
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, left, clashed with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota over whether President Trump knew he was reimbursing ex-lawyer Michael Cohen for a hush money payment. (CNN)
CNN host Alisyn Camerota and the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman sparred this week over whether President Trump had knowingly cut checks to his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen as reimbursement for a $130,000 hush payment Cohen had made to ex-porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
The debate was sparked in reaction to Haberman’s latest Times piece, which reported on 11 occasions in which "Trump or his trust" had cut a check -- including one to Cohen worth $35,000 --- since taking office.
STORMY DANIELS' NONDISCLOSURE LAWSUIT DISMISSED; MAY NOT HAVE TO REPAY COHEN $130G: REPORT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Appearing on CNN’s “New Day” on Wednesday, Haberman suggested that Trump may have “thought he was getting a legal fee to repay Michael Cohen,” and that the checks were not necessarily reimbursement for the $130,000 that Cohen said he had paid Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump.
“That’s absurd, Maggie,” Camerota quickly interjected.
To which Haberman fired back: “It’s not absurd, I don’t agree.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MICHAEL COHEN SUES TRUMP ORGANIZATION FOR MILLIONS IN LEGAL FEES
“$35,000 and not to know?” Camerota asked, referring to the amount of one of the checks that Haberman’s article mentioned. “This is a man who didn’t even pay his vendors when they completed work for him. This is somebody who doesn’t part with $35,000.”
Haberman then argued that it may have been possible that Trump might have been “reimbursing Michael Cohen for other things that he may not want people to know about.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I don’t think we should all presume that just because we see something that it’s giving us complete visibility in everything,” Haberman said.
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She added: “I think that (Trump) was getting a bunch of bills, and he was signing them. And whether he knew that he was reimbursing Michael Cohen for this, only two, and maybe a handful of other people at the Trump organization would know. But the two people are Michael Cohen and Donald Trump.”