The White House’s spokesman Raj Shah has stated that Donald Trump has repeatedly denied claims that stated he was involved in an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, that took place in 2006. He says Trump’s story is the only one that remains consistent.
In an interview, Ms Daniels told CBS that she had received $130,000 from Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen, just before the 2016 election, to keep quiet. But Mr Shah claims the White House did not violate federal campaigning finance law by ‘hushing’ Ms Daniels.
President Trump's legal team is now seeking $20m (£14m) in damages from Ms Daniels, on the basis of her breaking a non-disclosure agreement.
This isn’t the first time Trump and his team have strongly denied a huge story like this. In fact, Trump himself said during a 2016 election rally "I like to deny things". Below are five more occasions, amongst many more, where Trump, the White House or associates deny strong accusations or wrongdoing.
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Trump Denies Calling Haiti a ‘Shithole Country’
In one of his most recent denials in January, according to Senator Dick Durbin, President Trump used the phrase “shithole countries” to label Central American and African nations during DACA talks with US lawmakers.
The Senator had said that Trump “in the course of his comments said things which were hate-filled, vile and racist.”
During a meeting on protection for immigrants Trump reportedly said: “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?...Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out.”
Subsequently, Trump proceeded to deny allegations that he used any of these words, stating he “never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said ‘take them out.’ Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!”
After this he tweeted: “The language used by me at the Daca meeting was tough, but this was not the language used…What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for Daca!”
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Trump Denies Collusion with Russian Officials
In July 2017, allegations were rife surrounding the President and his son’s potential collusion with Russian officials. Donald Trump Jr. is said to have been informed by email prior to a meeting with Kremlin-connected Russian lawyers, that the meeting was going to be part of Russian government efforts to aid his father to Presidency in the 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton.
However, with ramifications of this story growing throughout the media, in the subsequent months President Trump was eager to deny almost everything, with the following tweets:
When James Clapper himself, and virtually everyone else with knowledge of the witch hunt, says there is no collusion, when does it end?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
Again, the story that there was collusion between the Russians & Trump campaign was fabricated by Dems as an excuse for losing the election.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2017
After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my "collusion with the Russians," nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2017
..under a magnifying glass, they have zero "tapes" of T people colluding. There is no collusion & no obstruction. I should be given apology!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2017
On the other hand, Donald Trump Jr.’s lawyer Alan Futerfas did not deny the existence of such email. According to NBC News, in a statement he said: “Robert Goldstone contacted Don, Jr. in an email and suggested that people had information concerning alleged wrongdoing by Democratic Party front runner, Hillary Clinton, in her dealings with Russia.”
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Trump Denies Claiming Global Warming is a Hoax
During his 2016 Presidential campaign, Donald Trump consistently denied previous claims of his that global warming, or climate change, is a hoax. However, in a tweet in 2012 Trump stated that: “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.”
The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012
There are also plenty of other examples, mostly tweets of times Trump refers to the reality of climate change as false.
Ice storm rolls from Texas to Tennessee - I'm in Los Angeles and it's freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2013
NBC News just called it the great freeze - coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2014
Snowing in Texas and Louisiana, record setting freezing temperatures throughout the country and beyond. Global warming is an expensive hoax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2014
Give me clean, beautiful and healthy air - not the same old climate change (global warming) bullshit! I am tired of hearing this nonsense.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2014
Trump’s current position on climate change is that it exists but is “naturally occurring.” This was eventually cleared up in an interview with Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway in 2016. This, however, was indirect denial via his campaign manager, but direct denial did happen.
In her first debate against Trump, opposition Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton states: “They’ve looked at my plans and they’ve said, OK, if we can do this, and I intend to get it done, we will have 10 million more new jobs, because we will be making investments where we can grow the economy. Take clean energy. Some country is going to be the clean-energy superpower of the 21st century. Donald thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. I think it’s real.” To which trump replies: “I did not. I did not. I do not say that.”
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Trump Denies Intentions to Settle Trump University Lawsuit
In November 2016 Trump had a change of heart and decided to settle on a fraud dispute surrounding Trump University for $25 million. This all birthed from the fact the university had promised to reveal Trump's real estate investing "secrets" to all those who enrolled in the courses.
The settlement came about in order to avoid years and years of litigation, but originally, Trump denied he would ever settle the Trump University lawsuit: “I could have settled this case numerous times, but I don’t want to settle cases when we’re right. I don’t believe in it. And when you start settling cases, you know what happens? Everybody sues you because you get known as a settler. One thing about me, I am not known as a settler.”
Following this claim, USA TODAY traced back records for thousands of Trump's legal disputes dating back to the 1980s, only to find that Trump in fact had relished in settling disputes at least 259 times.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who initiated the lawsuit against Trump’s "his phony university", said the President agreed to settle the lawsuit for $25 million, with an additional $1 million penalty for violating state of New York education laws. Aware of Donald Trump’s passion for denying things, the legal agreement did not require Trump to acknowledge any wrongdoing.
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Trump Denies All Sexual Allegations Ever
As recently clarified by Trump’s spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, all of the 20 women accusing the President of sexual assault or harassment are ‘lying’. Some, he says, ‘were not even attractive enough for him to sexually assault’.
The long list of women who have in the past few years spoken against and accused trump of unwanted sexual behaviour include Jill Harth, Cathy Heller and Ivana Trump.
Donald Trump refers to much of the sexual allegations cases as ‘fake news’, which is the usual comment for denial on most accusations against him. In October 2016, Trump also called some of the women who have accused him “horrible, horrible liars.”
All this recent debacle with Stormy Daniels only goes to support the idea that Donald Trump’s consistent and remarkable denials are arguably void of integrity.
In fact, denying his questionable idiocy is in ‘Trump’s nature’. He said so himself:
