BuzzFeed reporter Anthony Cormier defended on Friday his blockbuster story revealing that President Donald Trump allegedly asked Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.
Appearing on CNN’s “New Day,” Cormier told Alisyn Camerota and John Berman that his reporting was “rock solid” and that “this 100 percent happened.”
Cormier’s report details how Trump ordered Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer, to lie to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cormier and co-writer Jason Leopold cite two law enforcement officials “involved in an investigation of the matter.”
Pointing out Leopold’s troubled record with journalistic integrity, Camerota asked Cormier if he could truly be certain of the story, given the gravity of the allegations.
“My sourcing goes beyond the two on the record,” Cormier responded. “This is a thing that happened.”
Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, reportedly shrugged off the story. “If you believe Michael Cohen, I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge,” he said, according to Washington Post reporter Philip Rucker.
Trump’s response was less measured, angrily accusing Cohen of “lying to reduce his jail time.”
Kevin Corke, @FoxNews “Don’t forget, Michael Cohen has already been convicted of perjury and fraud, and as recently as this week, the Wall Street Journal has suggested that he may have stolen tens of thousands of dollars….” Lying to reduce his jail time! Watch father-in-law!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019
Watch the full interview below:
“I am rock solid. My sourcing on this goes beyond the two that are on the record. This 100% happened,” @a_cormier_ says about his BuzzFeed report that President Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about proposed Moscow project. https://t.co/sF3XuqPfkq pic.twitter.com/BMCzhs904a
— New Day (@NewDay) January 18, 2019
