In what seemed like an echo of how they handled the shady sexual misconduct claims against Justice Brett Kavanaugh by Julie Swetnick, Monday’s NBC Nightly News pushed a claim that then-candidate Donald Trump kissed a campaign staffer without consent. They were the only broadcast network to give the claim airtime that evening. They ran with the claim despite admitting to major contradictions and odd behavior from the accuser.
After their segment about President Trump’s trip to Vietnam for the summit with North Korea, fill-in anchor Savannah Guthrie announced: “In the meantime, here at home, the President is facing a new lawsuit. A former Trump campaign worker accusing him of kissing her without her consent.”
The campaign staffer was Alva Johnson and according to her lawyer, who sat down with NBC, “She moved her head aside, he still managed to kiss her on the corner of her mouth....In her words, she thought it was disgusting and creepy.”
NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker then had to admit that the “witnesses” Johnson claimed were there said it never happened:
She also says two members of the Trump campaign witnessed it, but tonight both of those people -- Pam Bondi and Karen Giorno -- say it never happened.
Bondi telling NBC News, “as a career prosecutor and attorney general, had I seen anything improper I would have taken action. I was with the President in the RV, and these allegations are false.” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders saying, “this never happened and is directly contradicted by multiple, highly credible eyewitness accounts.”
“While several women have publicly accused of Mr. Trump of inappropriate behavior, Johnson is the first to allege it happened during the campaign,” Welker continued to hype. “Her attorney says she left the campaign after the Access Hollywood tape dropped.”
If the alleged witnesses shooting it down wasn’t enough to pop the claims, Welker also had to admit that Johnson still wanted to be involved with team Trump after the alleged kiss: “Johnson then went to an inaugural ball and later applied for jobs in the Trump administration. And late today, revelations Johnson continued to speak glowingly of the President as recently as May 2017 in this radio interview.”
“He's just the nicest guy. He treats everyone as if they're part of his family,” Johnson said in the soundbite.
Welker concluded by parroting her legal team:
Alva Johnson's attorney said she said that because Johnson was worried about the nondisclosure agreement she had signed. So, why wait so long to come forward? Well, her attorney says they've been working on the case for eight months and felt now was the right time.
Interestingly, NBC actually spent more time pushing these claims than they did reporting on the U.S./North Korea summit (two minutes, nine seconds versus one minute and 50 seconds respectively). ABC and CBS omitting the claim from their reports possibly shows how unnewsworthy or unbelievable it actually was.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Nightly News
February 25, 2019
7:09:09 p.m. EasternSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: In the meantime, here at home, the President is facing a new lawsuit. A former Trump campaign worker accusing him of kissing her without her consent. The White House has issued a denial and tonight there are witnesses who say it never happened. NBC's Kristen Welker with the details.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: In this video, you can see Trump campaign staffer Alva Johnson outside an RV after a Florida stop in August 2016.
ALVA JOHNSON: Good job, boss.
WELKER: And you can hear Johnson praising Mr. Trump on this video she shot as he starts greeting supporters. But it's what Johnson alleges happened after this video that sparked her new lawsuit.
HASSAN ZAVAREEI: She moved her head aside, he still managed to kiss her on the corner of her mouth.
WELKER: Johnson's reaction?
ZAVAREEI: In her words, she thought it was disgusting and creepy.
WELKER: Johnson's lawyer says she told family members about the incident at the time. She also says two members of the Trump campaign witnessed it, but tonight both of those people -- Pam Bondi and Karen Giorno -- say it never happened.
Bondi telling NBC News, “as a career prosecutor and attorney general, had I seen anything improper I would have taken action. I was with the President in the RV, and these allegations are false.” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders saying, “this never happened and is directly contradicted by multiple, highly credible eyewitness accounts.”
While several women have publicly accused of Mr. Trump of inappropriate behavior, Johnson is the first to allege it happened during the campaign. Her attorney says she left the campaign after the Access Hollywood tape dropped.
DONALD TRUMP: I just start kissing them.
WELKER: But acknowledges Johnson then went to an inaugural ball and later applied for jobs in the Trump administration. And late today, revelations Johnson continued to speak glowingly of the President as recently as May 2017 in this radio interview.
JOHNSON: He's just the nicest guy. He treats everyone as if they're part of his family.
[Cuts back to live]
WELKER: Alva Johnson's attorney said she said that because Johnson was worried about the nondisclosure agreement she had signed. So, why wait so long to come forward? Well, her attorney says they've been working on the case for eight months and felt now was the right time. Savannah?
GUTHRIE: Alright, Kristen Welker at the White House, thank you.
