Conservative columnist slams Trump's 'vaudeville act' with Bob Woodward: He keeps 'contradicting himself'

While discussing the many revelations from veteran journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book about the Trump White House, MSNBC panelists led by host Chris Matthews derided the president for giving the Watergate reporter the "runaround."

A recording published by The Washington Post reveals a conversation between Donald Trump and Woodward in which the reporter tells the president he attempted to get a hold of him through six people for the book. Trump makes multiple excuses and claims nobody told him about the interview request in the 11-minute recording.

"I never got a call. I never got a message. Who did you ask about speaking to me?" the president told Woodward in the recording. In response, the journalist said he spoke to "about six people."

Post columnist Jennifer Rubin noted during the Tuesday night Hardball panel that the host "couldn't possibly play" the entire recording because "it would take up the whole show."

"It's long, it's rambling, at times he seems to contradict himself," Rubin said, adding later that the recording is evidentiary of "the chaos that surrounds" Trump.

Matthews noted that in the Post clip, "Trump is giving Woodward the runaround."

"It's like a vaudeville act — 'you talked to who? You talked to him? You didn't talk to me?'" the host said, imitating Trump.

Watch below, via MSNBC: