Kayleigh McEnany defends Donald Trump pushing 'Morning Joe' murder conspiracy theory with no evidence

'What are you gonna do?' laughing Joe Scarborough said to Don Imus about deceased former staff member

Introducing no evidence to support the claim, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Tuesday defended Donald Trump for repeatedly pushing a conspiracy theory that Joe Scarborough murdered a former staff member in 2001.

Ms McEnany cited a years-old interview in which the former Florida GOP congressman is bantering with then-MSNBC morning show host Don Imus about his new evening show on the network. Mr Imus says Mr Scarborough "had sex with the intern so you had to kill her." Mr Scarborough laughs. As Mr Imus continued riffing, Mr Scarborough says, "What are you gonna do?"

During a Tuesday press briefing, Ms McEnany responded to questions about Mr Trump pushing the conspiracy theory – debunked nearly 20 years ago by local police who ruled the death an accident – by saying it is Mr Scarborough, now the host of MSNBC's morning show – who must answer for the staff member's death.

Asked if it matters that Mr Trump is the president of the United States while making such serious accusations, Ms McEnany said Mr Scarborough should have to answer about the incident. She also criticised the "Morning Joe" team for making what she called false statements, such as the president being responsible for the over 100,000 Americans who have died from coronavirus.

The president for weeks has taken to Twitter to suggest the former Florida House member was responsible for the death of Lori Klausutis, who worked in his Florida office while he was a congressman. The conspiracy theory was first pushed by left-wing opponents of Mr Scarborough, but has been picked up by Mr Trump and many on the right because the MSNBC morning show host is a leading critic of the president.

Local police ruled Ms Klausutis died after hitting her head on a desk after she fainted due to an undetected heart problem.

Mr Trump used tweets over the long Memorial Day holiday weekend and then on Tuesday morning to push the theory again. But he has never provided a shred of evidence to support his claim.

"In 2016 when Joe & his wacky future ex-wife, Mika, would endlessly interview me, I would always be thinking........about whether or not Joe could have done such a horrible thing?" Mr Trump wrote, referring to his previously friendly relationship with Mr Scarborough and his now-wife Mika Brzezinski.

The pair talked to Mr Trump on and off the air frequently during the 2016 presidential election, and even joined him at his Mar a Lago resort before he took office. Once they criticised him on air, however, a nasty feud developed.

Ms Klausutis died in 2001 after hitting her head on a desk after fainting due to an undetected heart condition, local police concluded. The president has never outright accused Mr Scaraborough of having committed murder. But he certainly has suggested it over and over.

"Maybe or maybe not" he wrote on Tuesday morning about whether or not Mr Scarborough is guilty.

"But I find Joe to be a total Nut Job, and I knew him well, far better than most. So many unanswered & obvious questions, but I won't bring them up now!" he wrote before appearing to pressure local and state authorities: "Law enforcement eventually will?"

Ms Klausutis' widower has written Twitter executives and asked them to delete Mr Trump's tweets. The company on Tuesday said they are still reviewing the matter.

The "Morning Joe" co-hosts addressed the matter on Tuesday morning, perhaps prompting Mr Trump's response.

"I know all too well how much T.J. [Klausutis] has suffered, and how much, he's told me his family has suffered," the former GOP congressman said. "Every time they spread these lies, they're hurting the family."

"What the Klausutises, the entire family have had to endure for 19 years, it's unspeakably cruel," he added. "Whether it's the president or the people following the president, it's unspeakably cruel. These are not public figures."

His wife then chimed in with: "And made worse by Twitter."

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