President Donald Trump clashed with CNN’s Jim Acosta Thursday after the White House reporter questioned him on his contacts with Lev Parnas.
During a press gaggle with reporters as the Senate impeachment trial kicked off, Acosta asked Trump about Parnas, Rudy Giuliani’s indicted fixer, who just implicated Trump as well as senior members of his administration in a quid pro quo scheme to hold up military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country into announcing an investigation of Joe Biden.
Acosta asked for Trump’s response to Parnas’ claim, in interviews this week on MSNBC and CNN, that his efforts in Ukraine were all about Biden and the 2020 election.
“I don’t know him,” Trump said. “I don’t know Parnas other than, I guess, I had pictures taken with him which I do with thousands of people including people today that I didn’t meet.”
“I don’t know him at all, don’t know what he’s about. Don’t know where he comes from. Know nothing about him,” Trump added.
Trump continued to deny knowing Parnas, though he conceded to taking photos with the donor.
“Perhaps he’s a fine man, perhaps he’s not, I know nothing about him,” the president added.
As Acosta repeatedly sought to ask further questions on Parnas’ claims that he knew Trump, the president snapped: “Quiet.”
In his
“President Trump knew exactly what was going on,” Parnas said. “He was aware of all of my movements. I wouldn’t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president.”
Watch above, via CNN.