‘Bullshit’: Anderson Cooper Hammers Republican Guest Who Claims Trump Says Wild Things Because ‘He’s a New Yorker’

CNN’s Anderson Cooper heard enough from a Republican guest trying to defend former President Donald Trump on Wednesday’s AC360 .

Former California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado (R) baselessly claimed that former military officials who criticized Trump, such as ex-Joint Chiefs chairman Mark Milley , used to think he was a good president.

Milley has called Trump a “ fascist to his core .” Meanwhile, Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly , has gone public with disparaging remarks the former president made about soldiers.

On AC360 , Carl Bernstein noted Milley’s remarks.

“General Milley is a pretty level guy,” he said before referencing Trump, suggesting he will use the military against his political opponents . “Let’s listen to what Donald Trump is telling us. He is telling us what he’s going to do.”

“I respectfully disagree with Carl,” Maldonado said before launching into a defense of Trump that led to this exchange:

MALDONADO: A lot of these people, Anderson, when they’re working for him, he’s a good guy. President Trump’s good when they’re working for him. Donald Trump hasn’t changed in his whole life. In 2016, when he ran–

COOPER: I don’t think they’re saying that he was good when they’re working for him. They’ve left and now they’re saying what they say is–

MALDONADO: But what I’m saying is that they’re only coming after President Trump after they leave, or they’ve been fired, one of the two. And on–

COOPER: Wait a minute. So, you believe that highly decorated General Milley, General Kelly, who was the chief of staff, whose son died serving this country, you believe that they are making stuff up because they–

MALDONADO: No, no, I’m not saying that.

COOPER: But you are. You’re saying they’re only saying this after they’ve left.

MALDONADO: No. What I’m saying, Anderson, is they worked for President Trump.

COOPER: Right. So, they saw–

MALDONADO: When they were in the White House, President Trump was a good president.

COOPER: Well, they’re not saying that.

MALDONADO: Now all of a sudden–

COOPER: They’re not saying he was a good president.

MALDONADO: Well, they were cashing his check. They were working for him.

COOPER: Actually, General Milley was working at the Pentagon. He was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

MALDONADO: But he works at the pleasure of the president. I mean, at the end of the day he was working for President Trump. All of a sudden, either Trump fired–

COOPER: Actually, most people serving in the military are serving the country and have sworn to defend the Constitution, not the president of the United States.

MALDONADO: But Anderson, this is, I’m talking to you how I feel, how people all of a sudden come after President Trump. Like on the–

COOPER: But how you feel is not factually correct. So, you’re saying things which are not factually correct.

MALDONADO: Oh no, I really believe it’s correct. I think a lot of people feel it’s correct. The polls say it. I mean, the polling–

COOPER: Right, but what people feel and what polls show is not actually factually correct. You’re saying that [them] saying he was great while they were serving under him and then for some reason later on, they’re saying he’s not, that’s not factually correct.

MALDONADO: They went to work for him for a reason, obviously, at the pleasure of the president. They went to work to help America, to help President Trump, and all of a sudden they have a disagreement. They move on. And then he’s a “fascist.”

COOPER: Well, I don’t think we can ever know why they work for them because I think a lot of military people would say they went to work for an administration because they felt they could perhaps temper that administration’s–

MALDONADO: But Anderson, [unintelligible] President Trump, I mean, Donald Trump in 2016 when he ran, you know, who he was, you know who he is. That’s who he is. Trump is not gonna change ever.

BERNSTEIN:  Is he a fascist?

MALDONADO: I mean, no! He’s not a fascist, Carl!

BERNSTEIN: Does he say fascistic things?

MALDONADO: I mean, he’s a New Yorker. He’s a fighter. He’s a leader.

BERNSTEIN: New Yorkers who fight don’t usually invoke fascism. Does he say fascistic things day after day? I ask you?

MALDONADO: Carl, I don’t see that.

COOPER: But also, by the way, you’re from California. The kids in the Central Park Five, they were actually New Yorkers. So, the idea that Donald Trump is a New Yorker and this is what New Yorkers say, is just bullshit.

MALDONADO: I’m from California and we look at New York as you know, they’re fighters. They’re strong. They tell it like it is. They’ll say it out loud.

COOPER: But that’s a comic book. I mean, again, there’s eight million people in the city.

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