Chris Matthews to Ex-GOP Rep: If You Take Trump at His Word on Russia, Did You Also Believe Birtherism?

During this evening’s broadcast of MSNBC’s Hardball, host Chris Matthews got into it with former Republican Congresswoman Nan Hayworth over today’s explosive news surrounding the indictments of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and Manafort’s right-hand man Rick Gates and the revelation that ex-Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty to charges that he lied to the FBI about his Russia ties.

The discussion between the two grew tense right away when the Trump-defending ex-lawmaker told Matthews that she took Trump at his word when it came to his denials about Russian collusion.

“Okay, but Donald Trump spent a year saying Barack Obama is an illegal immigrant who snuck in this country, assumed a false identity, really didn’t go to the schools he went to, nobody knew him and somehow became president,” Matthews exclaimed. “He stuck to that line until Friday afternoon and dumped it and said oh, I didn’t really believe it. Did you believe all those months? Did you believe Donald Trump with his birther theory? Did you?”

Hayworth responded, “I believed that President Obama was born in Hawaii. But Chris, that’s not the point here.”

The two would then have a short back-and-forth over Trump’s birtherism and why Hayworth didn’t believe that but did believe the president when it comes to Russia collusion. This would then segue into a lengthier exchange in which Hayworth brought up a number of Hillary Clinton-based Russia narratives such as Uranium One and the Steele dossier with Matthews pushing back.

At the end of the interview, Matthews let it be known that he wasn’t taking anything Hayworth was saying seriously while informing her that none of her talking points would change anything.

“I think you’re doing your best,” he stated. “I understand. I’ve seen this before in politics. I get it. But it’s not going to change reality.”

Watch the clip above, via MSNBC.

[image via screengrab]

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