CNN Anchor Spars With Ex-Trump Aide Over Hurricane Lie: ‘It’s Just False’

CNN guest panelist Marc Lotter was skewered Thursday for defending former President Donald Trump’s lie that the administration of his successor, Joe Biden, diverted disaster relief funds from Republican communities.

Lotter, who served as a spokesperson for Trump’s 2020 White House campaign, appeared on the network to discuss recent claims by the GOP presidential nominee, including that federal assistance efforts sidelined Republicans following hurricanes Helene and Milton and that relief funds were improperly spent on migrants.

Lotter compared these kinds of assertions — which Biden rejected at a Thursday press conference — to typical disagreements among lawmakers on how government funds should be appropriated, spurring CNN anchor Abby Phillip to call him out.

“This is not what we’re talking about,” said Phillip. “It’s actually not that hard to figure out. Trump says that they are not getting help in Republican areas. That is just false. It’s just false. … It’s just a provably false thing.”

Determined to reach common ground, Phillip asked if they could agree that Trump had lied. Lotter, however, deflected: “I would say, what do the people think?”

The CNN panel became visibly frustrated at Lotter’s response, prompting Phillip to plainly ask him, “Are people in Republican areas getting help from the government right now?”

Lotter affirmed that, at the “state, federal, local” levels, they are. Phillip then asked him: “If you tell me that it’s true that they’re getting help but people feel like they’re not, is it important for you to repeat the feeling that is not actually true?”

“If you are a victim of that storm and you don’t feel like you’ve gotten enough support or help, that’s a real thing to be able to say and to run on,” he responded.

Phillip, seemingly exasperated, reiterated: “Trump is running on a lie that people are not getting help because they are Republicans. That’s not true.”