Corey Lewandowski, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, tried to discredit reporting on his corruption Tuesday, but his excuses immediately backfired.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing "officials," that Lewandowski reached out to officials from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to hire him "on the side" to negotiate deals with the Trump administration. The reporting came months after the Journal revealed that Lewandowski, who had a close personal working relationship with former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, "may have been involved in improperly awarding government contracts," according to the report.
Lewandowski blasted the report Tuesday in a post on X.
"This latest Wall Street Journal story, a once great publication, is today just another example of the kind of anonymous-source, politically driven reporting that Americans have seen time and again," Lewandowski wrote. "We've lived through the Russia collusion hoax, the fake Birthday card, and countless other sensational allegations that ultimately failed to withstand scrutiny."
Lewandowski's post set off a firestorm on social media, with critics saying his statement all but confirmed the Journal's reporting.
"It sounds like you’re confirming their reporting," Christopher Hale, senior fellow at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, posted on X.
"Incredible," Jim Stewartson, a political writer who defeated a defamation lawsuit filed by FBI Director Kash Patel after Stewartson described him as "googly-eyed," posted on X.
"Lewandowski pushes back on the WSJ's detailed reporting about his egregious corruption by comparing it to reporting about Russia collusion and Trump's birthday card to Epstein, two stories that were totally legit at the time and hold up in hindsight," Aaron Rupar, a journalist, posted on X. "Great work, Corey."