Anderson Cooper Tells Trump Surrogate To His Face On Live TV: Thats Just Bulls**t

CNN s Anderson Cooper on Wednesday called out a Donald Trump surrogates defense of the former presidents increasingly authoritarian rhetoric .

Former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado (R) tried to spin Republican nominee Trumps comments as just how people from New York talk.

But Cooper called that explanation just bullshit.

The exchange began when famed Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein asked Maldonado if Trump is a fascist. Maldonado said no. Bernstein asked if Trump says fascistic things. Maldonado responded, I mean, hes a New Yorker. Hes a fighter. Hes a leader.

Bernstein noted that New Yorkers who fight dont usually invoke fascism. Does he say fascistic things day after day? I ask you?

Maldonado claimed he didnt see that in Trump.

Cooper said the idea its what New Yorkers say is just bullshit.

Maldonado responded, Im from California and we look at New York as you know, theyre fighters. Theyre strong. They tell it like it is. Theyll say it out loud.

Cooper said that was a comic book description of people in the city.

Watch the full exchange here:

Journalist and author Carl Bernstein, Republican strategist and Harris supporter Ana Navarro and former California GOP Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado weigh in on Trump's refusal to back off false claims about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Maldonado says Trump is pic.twitter.com/k63Kl0JbcB

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Journalist and author Carl Bernstein, Republican strategist and Harris supporter Ana Navarro and former California GOP Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado weigh in on Trump's refusal to back off false claims about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Maldonado says Trump is pic.twitter.com/k63Kl0JbcB
Anderson Cooper 360 (@AC360) October 17, 2024

Maldonado had earlier claimed that former military officials who served during Trumps first term had only soured on him after they left or theyve been fired, one of the two, which Cooper repeatedly disputed.

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During a lengthy back-and-forth, Maldonado told Cooper he was talking to you how I feel, how people all of a sudden come after President Trump.

Cooper replied, But how you feel is not factually correct. So, youre saying things which are not factually correct.