MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz on Monday made inaccurate claims about Donald Trump, insisting that during an April 28 Fox News interview, the real estate CEO did not denounce Donald Sterling in the wake of the NBA owner's racist rant. Trump has complained that journalists spun his comments about Sterling and his "girlfriend from hell," V. Stiviano. Schultz asserted,"Donald Trump shredded Stiviano. Trump criticized Sterling's answers, but he [Trump] never touched his character." This is false.
A look at the April 28 Fox and Friends, the interview in question, finds Trump proclaiming, "What [Sterling] said was terrible and despicable and very strong action is going to be taken. There's no question about it." At another point, Trump denounced, "He is on tape and the tape is horrible and...I don't think he's got an answer for it. There's really no answer." He continued, "What he said was despicable and everybody, I think, agrees with that. I think probably very strong action is going to have to be taken by the commissioner." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]
At another point, Trump concluded, "The commissioner will probably take extremely strong action. Maybe the strongest action so far of any league ever. But this is really bad stuff."
"Terrible." "Horrible." "Despicable." Those are clearly attacks on Sterling's character.
A comparison of Schultz's claims and some of Trump's remarks can be found below.
Ed Show
5/4/14
5:49
ED SCHULTZ: In pretenders tonight, personal foul. Donald Trump. The ethics expert says he's a victim of the cruel media. The Donald says he's being unfairly attacked.
DONALD TRUMP: So much of the press is totally dishonest and that was an incredible example. I knocked the hell out of Donneld Sterling for five minutes. Said what a bad guy. Said, you know, horrible things he said. And then I said just in passing and by the way, he has the girlfriend from hell. It was all over thousands and thousands of articles. All over the place, all over the world that I was defending him.
SCHULTZ: Well, here's what Trump said in passing last week.
TRUMP: It's terrible. He got set up by a very, very bad girlfriend, let's face it. That whole thing is, she's called the girlfriend from hell. It's so bad and she was baiting him and she's a terrible human being and he gave horrible answers.
SCHULTZ: Terrible human being. She really deserved that. Donald Trump shredded Stiviano. Trump criticized Sterling's answers, but he never touched his character. Here's Trump knocking Sterling out.
TRUMP: Well, I think he could be out of it, frankly. You know, based on his actions he could be pretty much out of it in term of, you know, his whole mentality. The whole thing is crazy.
SCHULTZ: Yeah, no one needs to twist Donald Trump's words. No one needs to twist Donald Trump's words. We can just play them back for you. If Donald Trump believes playing the victim clears him from playing the fool, he can keep on pretending.
4/28/14
7:06
DONALD TRUMP: What he said was terrible and despicable and very strong action is going to be taken. There's no question about it.
...
7:08
...
DONALD TRUMP: So whether he's out of it or not, what he said was despicable and everybody, I think, agrees with that. I think probably very strong action is going to have to be taken by the commissioner.
...
TRUMP: He is on tape and the tape is horrible and he's, I don't think he's got an answer for it. There's really no answer.
...
7:10
...
TRUMP: The commissioner will probably take extremely strong action. Maybe the strongest action so far of any league ever. But this is really bad stuff.
