Trump Camp Claims It Was Tricked By Larry King Into Russian TV Interview

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo

-snip-

The Donald Trump campaign is scrambling to explain how the GOP nominee ended up on Russia-backed TV Thursday night, and they're trying to get Larry King to take the fall. A Trump spokeswoman told Bloomberg News' Kevin Cirilli that the Republican nominee agreed to a phone interview for King's podcast, and that he was unaware the interview would appear on Russian Television.

Kevin Cirilli ✔
@kevcirilli

Trump campaign spokeswoman tells me that Trump "recorded a short interview with Larry King for his podcast as a favor to Mr. King."

9:44 PM - 8 Sep 2016

-snip-

Kevin Cirilli ✔
@kevcirilli

Trump campaign spokeswoman tells me that "what Larry King does with the interview content is up to him, we have nothing to do with it."

9:44 PM - 8 Sep 2016

Trump spokesman Jason Miller gave a similar explanation that Trump thought the interview was for a podcast to CNN. "Mr. Trump was never told it would be shared anywhere else," Miller said.

Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway echoed Miller during a Friday morning interview on CNN. "A former CNN superstar, Larry King, has a podcast, and Mr. Trump went on his podcast. Nobody said it would be on Russian TV," Conway said on CNN's "New Day."

-snip-



Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-camp-explanation-rt-interview

[JoePhilly]

1. So the Russians tricked Trump. Very Presidential!!!

[William Seger]

20. LOL, and Trump will surround himself with the best advisors, believe him (n/t)

[left-of-center2012]

26. "Trump will surround himself with the best advisors"

Why?

He's told us he has the best mind in the world.

[Tarheel_Dem]

60. Actually he said he said he has "a very good brain".

[awoke_in_2003]

68. He needs to go see

Dr. Gumby, Brain Specialist


"My brain hurts"

"It'll have to come out"

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

101. The Russians have been tricking Trump all along.

He's their useful idiot.

[Kennah]

110. I disagree. Putin is the pimp, and Trump is the whore. (n/t)

[Democat]

2. If Trump is stupid enough to be tricked by Larry King then he has no business being president

Trump can't even deal with Larry King and he wants to run America.

He has shown himself as weak and incompetent.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. This is the point

I am willing to believe this explanation, but in some ways it is even more damning. There are no stakes higher than those involving the presidency. There is no room for lack of due diligence. Trump simply wings it, and far too often he is flying blind.

[karynnj]

40. The shock to me is that the Trump campaign did not take the blame for allowing this on his schedule

This says that either
1) Unlike a normal campaign, there is no management of the candidate's time and appearances.
or
2) The campaign has so many prima donnas that they are NOT protecting the candidate. Here a statement that the campaign did not adequately vet a Larry King interview because he had been a longtime CNN personality half a decade ago. (One question - Does LK have a series of podcasts that have been on RT or was this a first?)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Exactly. Don the Con couldn't see it? Nah, only when the blowback came did he claim he was conned.nt

[Pathwalker]

16. Don the Con got connned! Yeah, that was "brilliant" of him.

Just what America doesn't need - a man who is easily conned.

[Stuart G]

36. Oh MY>>>>The emperor has no clothes...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Say it ain't so....How could that be
Don't you see...
Don the Con......is easily conned!!!!

He is stupid and that is true
That is why we need to vote blue..
He is selfish as can be.
An idiot of course..
Not at all with the force..
And what we will see
Is President Hillary.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pathwalker]

41. Love your poetry! Too cool - thanks!

[George II]

3. Hmmm, how's that for "judgement"? What happens when he sits across the table....

....from a world leader?

[PatSeg]

17. He's never going to sit across the table

with world leaders! He is going to govern via Twitter from his couch with five TVs on.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

4. Larry King couldn't coax a bowel movement at this point

Trump is a fucking joke

[BlancheSplanchnik]

105. Literally laffing out loud!

[packman]

5. "That's how you get the edge" - Larry King's breath

?t=8

[PatSeg]

18. What an ass!

[vanlassie]

46. This vid clip was all I needed to see to understand Trump.

He is an asshole.

[wordpix]

48. Omg, well we already know he's a rube bur geesh!

[vlyons]

6. Incompetent Trump campaign

Did it never occur to Trump's "all the best people" to ask on which media outlets the podcast would play? Duuhhh Guess not.

[jpak]

7. So the Russians tricked the Clueless Cheeto

Prolly not the first or last time either.

yup

[riversedge]

10. No trick--showing up on Russian TV just shows Trumps lack of good judgement!!

[michaz]

11. Guess he couldn't read Larry King's body language. n/t

[Undah Covah Brotha]

12. I guess it never occured to Trump to do some

"Extreme Vetting" as to where the interview would be aired. Bravo, Sir!

[Ccarmona]

13. If Trump won't take the blame

For something this simple, what will his excuse be when he "accidentally" launches a nuke?
And, King hasn't been on CNN for years, so not only is Trump stupid, but totally unaware of what's going on; not very "Presidential" (as usual).

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. So they're either lying or incredibly stupid?

Personally, I'd go with both, but that's one hell of a campaign strategy, I'll give them that.

Note to Putin: If you want President Trump to expose US secrets, just send Larry King. He'll talk. Trust me, he'll talk.

[etherealtruth]

25. Not mutually exclusive terms (ie lying AND very stupid)

[C_U_L8R]

15. So it's proven that Trump is easily fooled by Russians

But you'd think he'd have some clue given
the obvious name of the network he appeared on.
Undeniably, Trump is a fool of global proportion.

[mainstreetonce]

19. With all his experience in TV

he doesn't know the difference between a podcast and a TV show crew?

[Mc Mike]

21. Are you sure the tRump spokesman's name is spelled 'Jason', and not 'John'?

And that WAS great Commander in Chief skills displayed there, by dRump, getting tricked into appearing on his pal Putin's propaganda channel.

[Zorro]

22. Trump criticizes U.S. policy on Russian television

I like this Reuters headline. Spread the word.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-criticizes-u-policy-russian-television-142300277.html

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has often praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticized U.S. policy in Iraq during an interview broadcast on a Kremlin-funded television network.

The New York businessman made the comments in an interview with former CNN broadcaster Larry King, whose podcast was aired on Thursday night on RT network, a 24-hour, Russian-language news channel.

Trump criticized U.S. policy in Iraq from the days of Republican President George W. Bush, who ordered the American-led invasion in 2003 in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States. Trump then attacked President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Obama's first secretary of state, for their roles in the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.

"It's a war we shouldn't have been in, number one," Trump said in the interview. "And it's a war that, when we got out, we got out the wrong way. That's Obama."

[liberal N proud]

23. A president that be tricked? I don't think so!

Their cover up is dumber than the action.

[NewJeffCT]

24. Larry King's like 100 years old

but, he's still crafty enough to trick The Donald? Maybe he's going to steal Melania and make her wife #9 or 10 as well?

[Lochloosa]

38. 82

[bluedigger]

64. That's a lot of wives.

He probably just looks like he's a 100 or so...

[TomCADem]

27. No Donald! It's A Trap!

[tinrobot]

28. If you can be tricked by Larry King, you don't deserve the office of President.

[geek tragedy]

29. Larry King as honeytrap, some savvy negotiator this Trump fella is nt

[olddad56]

30. he likes to play the victim, but he actaully is a willing volunteer.

[roscoeroscoe]

31. I call b.s.

Please just stop

[FairWinds]

32. Actually, I rather like RT . .

It is no more propagandistic than the MSM.

Want proof? Look around the MSM for any balanced coverage of the TPP.

You won't find any . .

(Esp. since Ed Schultz got bounced from MSNBC and went, guess where . . to RT!!)

[oberliner]

69. Look around RT for balanced coverage of anything related to Russia

You won't find any.

[FairWinds]

84. And where in the gringo MSM can one find . .

balanced coverage of the US?

No where

[BlueStreak]

33. RT is not "Russian State TV"

RT is a network broadcasting in several markets in the US, and is funded by Russia. Larry King has a program on this network. It isn't some big secret.

RT undoubtedly has an agenda, but on balance, I have found RT's reporting to be more factual and less propaganda than what passes for "news" from the so-called "American networks" (which are largely supported by stateless multi-nationals.

[Blue_Tires]

56. Yeah, keep on telling yourself that...

If you have a defense for "factual" reporting like this, I'd love to hear it:

[BlueStreak]

66. I didn't say I support or agree with everything they say. But I have seen, for example,

reports that go into considerable depth about the ways that the American oligarchy has worked to destroy the labor movement. I believe almost all of that was factual, as were the facts in the video you cited. The inferences and conclusions certainly reflect a strong bias. But that is also true of the "proper" networks that "proper" Americans properly watch.

We know that Russia has a strong interest in a destabilized American government, which is why they are doing their part to help Trump. They don't like Trump per se. They would love to see a destabilized America and there is no better way to accomplish that then by putting a certifiably crazy man in office.

As far as the oblique references to Israeli influence, this isn't worse than anything one would hear any day of the week on Faux or Limbaugh. We have to be diligent information consumers, and unfortunately, most Americans are not. IMHO, we are better off having the RT viewpoint available so that we can contrast it with the alternative which is multi-national corporate propaganda 24x7.

At the end of the day, I think RT is the most honest network we have because they say what their agenda is right up front. It is RUSSIA TODAY. I will be more sympathetic to your arguments as soon as Comcast and the others use similarly truthful labels about their agendas.

[oberliner]

70. Have you seen any critical coverage of Putin or Russian foreign or domestic policy?

You haven't because it isn't allowed.

[BlueStreak]

80. Have you seen any critical coverage of the multi-nationals

on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, or Faux?

I never said that Russia Today is unbiased. In fact I said exactly the opposite. They most certainly have an agenda.

What I said is that they have brought forward facts that might never otherwise be heard by Americans. What I said was that with the current domination of our media by the multi-nationals, we are better off having some channels that do not serve the largest corporate interests 24x7.

If you find the particular segment you cited anti-Semitic, that is certainly your right. And I am not here to defend everything RT does. I wasn't as sensitive to that particular point as you are.

[oberliner]

82. I agree that we should have channels that don't serve corporate interests

But having channels that are Russian government propaganda outlets is not a step in the right direction.

[BlueStreak]

83. Well, maybe we need something like that to show people just how far right this country has gone

I agree there are hazards when it is is just one propaganda machine against another. (More accurately, one propaganda machine against about 5 big corporate propaganda machines plus all the Koch funded stuff).

Personally I think we are better off having any kind of counter-balance, but I understand your concern.

What would be better would be the return of the Fairness Doctrine. That is the moment we can pinpoint where this all started to turn in a big way.

There are some fundamental points in the disintegration of the American democracy. That is one. Citizen's United is one. There are various critical events disabling unions. Really, fewer than 10 things that have fundamentally destroyed out democracy and turned the country over to the multi-nationals.

[nikto]

99. The current horrid state of American corporate media news is what makes RT necessary

1 big example is the major US Media blackout on TPP.

Meanwhile, RT has had MANY shows explaining TPP, its sovereignty-killing ISDS provision,
and many other of its likely effects.


If the damn US Media would cover TPP, there would be no reason to have to go to sources like
RT just to get any real info on it.

There are other examples, but that's a big one, right there.

Never be embarrassed to say you watch RT.

It's those who would ban RT that I would worry about.

None here on DU, I'm sure.

[nikto]

98. I agree with you

RT is an easy target for this new McCarthyism.

It is just 1 source out of many, and easily used, becasuse its propaganmda is obvious a mile away.
Unlike sneakier news outlets like The LA Times, MSNBC, and many others.


Trump is a POS from Hell. No doubt about that.
He is a real threat to anything Progressive.

But that doesn't mean we have to go all 1956 on him, just to fortify our opposition.

I just hate to see that here on DU. IMO, it smacks of, to coin a phrase,
"throw in the kitchen sinkism".

[King_David]

96. Homophobic too...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2399663/US-reporter-Jamie-Kirchick-hijacks-Russias-RT-TV-channel-speak-gay-rights.html#v-2621796606001

[BillyBobBrilliant]

34. He wouldn't have been taken

By a fellow huckster, would he?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-02/larry-king-s-business-loans-will-cost-you

[Cryptoad]

35. Comrade Trump ,,,,

has been tricked into acting a fool by the Lizard People!

[martin mike]

37. if it's true, 348th example of why Trump shouldn't be president

[cungar2000]

39. Wikipedia: Larry King Now is a talk show web series available on Ora TV, Hulu and RT

Gee it says right here in the Wikipedia listing for Larry king Live. I guess that's too hard for Trump's crack team to do.

Larry King Now is a talk show web series hosted by Larry King and available on Ora TV, Hulu and RT

Almost certain the producers explained this to Trump before the interview.

[The Polack MSgt]

59. Nice Catch

Welcome to DU

[Bernardo de La Paz]

65. Amateur campaign headed by an amateur. Too amateur to research media but they hate media

Welcome to DU (your first post).

[Chemisse]

81. Great first post!

I guess checking Wikipedia is too much to expect of Trump and his devotees.

[Eugene]

42. King appeared on the same "black ledger" as Paul Manafort.

Any Trumpian who is awake should have seen the red flags flying.

Trump's handlers were either super-humanly lazy or they are lying.

[yellowcanine]

43. "Useful idiot" comes to mind......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_idiot

[martin mike]

44. backing up DonViejo, here's the video

disgusting . more importantly, disqualifying! (349th example.)

[citizen blues]

45. 80% of the job of president is

putting the right people in the right places around you. If Trump's team can't even vett something as simple as a media appearance . . . How pathetic is that?

[Stuart G]

47. This one could be the end of ......candidate Trump...

Even the idiots can see
Trump will never be..
anything....but a stupid rock that moves..
and talks too..(my apologies to all rocks...)
Vote Blue..!!!


...Thank you

[BlancheSplanchnik]

106. :D

[NBachers]

49. "Okay, ve got him chust vere ve vant him!"

Let's see, who could best play the role of Natasha Fatale?

[Hekate]

50. I find the parade of useful idiots ever more surreal.

[Renew Deal]

51. Trump is being tricked by Putin too

He's a good boy

[rivegauche]

52. Oh PUHLEEEEEEEEZ

He really thinks the public is stupid. His supporters are without a doubt, they will believe anything.

[KeepItReal]

53. Oh noes!! Trickeration!!

Everyone falls for the flea flicker....

?w=1000

Racist Trump is the real joke.

[tavernier]

54. So embarrassing.

[Zambero]

55. Putin & Co. know a few things

They know what a Trojan horse is, and how to use it.
They know what Manchurian candidates are and how to engage them.
They know what a bright shiny object is, which is Putin's own description for Trump, otherwise a useful tool.
They know that having a useful tool in the White House is to their advantage.

[fleabiscuit]

57. Dump, "Not fair! I was supposed to get the Aleppo question!" eom

[yellowcanine]

58. This is BS because everyone knows Larry King works for RT

I know it is fruitless but just imagine the howls if Hillary had done a podcast downplaying the Russian attempt to influence U.S. elections which ended up on Russian TV.

[truthisfreedom]

61. Bush league crew.

Third rate second string half-assed amateurs.

[Nitram]

62. Well at least they are admitting to total incompetence.

If Trump became president we could look forward to hearing about how Putin had tricked Trump.

[flying-skeleton]

63. Trump has a Plan

Trump had a plan to reveal his stupidity as fast as possible. This way no one will notice when he's slowly being stupid .... like now !!

[matt819]

67. Amazing

Made a fool of in Mexico.

Tricked by Larry King and the Russians.

Tremendous support from the KKK, Kim Jong-un, Putin, and ISIS.

Just the person we want in the White House.

[AC_Mem]

71. Nobody told Mr. Trump

that this button would set off a nuke -

at what point does anyone in this campaign take responsibility for anything.

How can any American possibly think that he is fit for office?

it does make great commercials tho....

[Historic NY]

72. If Donald can be tricked by and 82yr old man imagine how a much

younger one name Putin would do.

[bucolic_frolic]

73. Incompetent not to fully vet media venues

Easily tricked, unfit to govern

[Adrahil]

74. That's not a good defense there, Don.

If you're that easily tricked by the Russians, that would seem to be a real problem for you.

[47of74]

75. Cough...bullshit...cough

[sarcasmo]

76. That really explains Larry Kings 8 wives.

[saltpoint]

77. That dastardly Larry King! He's always up to

no good, tricking people.

Don't forget that time he dressed up like Red Riding's grandma when she was bringing over that basket of goodies.

Damn his soul anyway!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

107. !

[Ilsa]

78. Amateurs. Expect more of the same if he's elected. nt

[Thinkingabout]

79. Complain to your puppet master Putin, Ed Schultz is ranting about Hillary not

Going on RT, maybe she will not be fooled.

[Angry Dragon]

85. Trump was tricked as he is trying to trick the American people

[NastyRiffraff]

86. What happened to "extreme vetting"?

Oh, right...that only applies to immigrants and Muslims.

The thought of this moron in the White House is enough to get me to make another contribution to the Clinton campaign.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

87. IT WAS A TRICK!!!

[niyad]

88. LOVE IT!!!!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

89. :)

Tanks, niyad!
Is it bad of me, that I love my own post?

[niyad]

90. of course it is not bad--one should love what one is posting--unless, that is, one is posting to

draw attention to something hideous and vile.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

91. Heh...

Like Drumpf.

[niyad]

92. oh dear goddess--I nearly lost my coffee over that one!!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

93. well then!

My work here is done.

[niyad]

94. indeed it is. rest well from your labours!!

[cntrygrl]

95. Bad man Larry King. LOL

[DallasNE]

97. So Much For The Art Of The Deal

If Larry King can successfully "trick" the mighty Donald J. Trump. I mean, who couldn't trick Trump now?

[DFW]

100. It sounds like it's petty easy to trick the Trump campaign into anything

Even into believing their candidate is a serious choice for President!

(well, OK, THAT one is a real stretch, but I'll bet at least a few of them really believe it)

[Sunlei]

102. I bet Russian Government TV has other prerecorded 'news' about trump/republicans to air.

[Iggo]

103. Trump Camp: "We're idiots, not assholes."

[Kathy M]

104. Larry King himself rebutted the Dons excuse , King said his producers talked with Dons people

to make arrangements to do his TV show

" ERIN BURNETT (HOST): The Trump campaign claims it had no idea that that interview was airing on a Russian network.

[...]

So have you had a chance to speak to Donald Trump since this interview, or your producers to speak to his campaign?

LARRY KING: No, I have not, no one's called me. I mean, I'm friends with Donald, I'm friends with Hillary. I know a lot of people for a lot of years. I never say who I'm going to vote for. I'm always fair.

We were doing an interview, it was supposed to be for ten minutes and right at the end of ten minutes it stopped. I never got to say goodbye, I don't know why I stopped so abruptly.

But if Donald said he thought it was a podcast, that stretches it a little because he just did my podcast. I did not make the arrangements for him to be on the show. My producers talked to his people, and they made the arrangements. So I never know what was said to him except he was doing my TV show.

BURNETT: Now, is there any chance that they wouldn't have known that this was airing on R.T.? I mean, given, as you know we're saying it's the main distributor.

KING: I have no idea. You're asking me to go through their heads. I have no idea.

http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/09/09/larry-king-laughs-down-idea-trump-didn-t-know-he-was-russian-tv/212980

[BlancheSplanchnik]

108. Yeah sure. What it was is Shit Weaselhat was lathered up by his buddy Vlad...

And he just couldn't help lusting after that bar of soap.

Being constitutionally incapable of saying no to attention, he couldn't wait to get in front of those cameras.

But.......Oops!
Then the typical sociopath/narcissist's excuses when he's caught red *ahem* handed.

[agentS]

109. Why is he complaining?

He praises Russia all the damn time. He should be proud to be on their network. It's their way to prove he's 'earning his keep' if the rumors of his debts to the Russian oligarchs are true.

[downeastdaniel]

111. I see this latest "trick" played by that crafty King as a warm up for Donald to be fooled by

The chief of the tricksters, PUTIN, the education of Donny...

[JonLP24]

112. Larry King does a podcast for them

I don't care what TV he was on since they're all garbage, I watched the RT America awhile ago and liked it more then the 24/7 news channels still in the same league as bullshit corporate news.