National Enquirer made up the story about Ted Cruz's father and Lee Harvey Oswald, former publisher says
Source: NBC News
April 23, 2024, 2:48 PM EDT
David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, testified at Donald Trump's trial Tuesday that the tabloid completely manufactured a negative story in 2016 about the father of Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, who was then Trump's rival for the GOP presidential nomination.
The paper had published a photo allegedly showing Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, with Lee Harvey Oswald handing out pro-Fidel Castro pamphlets in New Orleans in 1963, not long before Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Trump repeatedly referred to the story on the campaign trail and in interviews. I mean, what was he doing what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting? Trump said in an interview with Fox News in May 2016. Its horrible.
Manhattan prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Pecker about the story's origins during the trial Tuesday in Manhattan. Pecker said that then-National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard and the tabloid's research department got involved, and Pecker indicated that they faked the photo that was the foundation for the story. We mashed the photos and the different picture with Lee Harvey Oswald. And mashed the two together. And thats how that story was prepared created I would say," Pecker said on the witness stand.
Asked by Steinglass whether Cruz had gained popularity in the presidential race at the time, Pecker said, I believe so. The revelation came up as the prosecution focused on negative articles that were published by the tabloid about Trump's Republican opponents at the time. Pecker explained that it was Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer, who would orchestrate the planting of these stories. Pecker said Cohen would call and say they'd like his publication to run an article on a certain candidate, adding that Cohen would then send him a piece about Cruz, for example, and the National Enquirer "would embellish it from there."
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/national-enquirer-ted-cruz-father-rafael-lee-harvey-oswald-rcna149027
Katie Phang was discussing (was mentioned on Nicole earlier).
agingdem
(7,860 posts)Fealty to Trump requires no balls and blind obedience to a delusional filthy lunatic...
on the other hand...it is the loathsome Ted Cruz
apnu
(8,759 posts)He also got into an argument with Rubio over penis size during one of their debates.
Cruz is loathsome on his own, he doesnt need a gross tabloid making up stuff about him or going after his wife to take him down
unless hes in competition with someone equally loathsome like Trump.
captain queeg
(10,251 posts)Wonder what the sketch artist will capture?
Lovie777
(12,330 posts)those types of papers have in most part consist of conspiracies bullshit and lies, misinformation and lies.
MadameButterfly
(1,067 posts)And Trump got elected parroting their stories. I think putting this in stark relief and making it cleat that it wasn't a tabloid as usual but Trump behind the stories should be an eye-opener.
Unfortunately the undecideds who apparently don't pay attention to anything won't hear about this.
Maybe there are some Cruz supporters who'll get mad?
Mr.Bill
(24,330 posts)if you pointed out the National Enquirer was full of shit, people would answer they were correct about John Edwards. So they did have a thread of credibility for that. Enough to make many believe them, apparently.
TheRickles
(2,083 posts)Mr.Bill
(24,330 posts)But they were also very quick to pretty much pronounce OJ guilty, too.
TheRickles
(2,083 posts)The National Enquirer carried his cover story - that he was in a coma for 35 years, and had just now recovered and could return to his wife and his previous life. Jones and Will Smith also got a lot of UFO tips from the Enquirer.
Scroll down to the picture of the Nat Enq's headline (the article isn't worth reading):
https://gemofamara.substack.com/p/does-men-in-black-work-in-2019
Mr.Bill
(24,330 posts)Trump is a serial projectionist. Talk about Fake News? Ha!
apnu
(8,759 posts)This stuff establishes a pattern of catch and kill for the intent to manipulate the election, which is illegal.
So they have to show that evidence and hope the whole jury believes it.
Its not news, its more like a season recap before a new episode on TV.
robbob
(3,538 posts)but what IS news (or new information at least) is the notion of such a tabloid acting at the behest of a political candidate to swing an election for the highest office in the land.
elleng
(131,142 posts)I often hide their covers from public view @ grocery, so henceforth I won't be selective, I'll do it EVERY time!
Prairie Gates
(1,066 posts)I mean, Trump called the man's wife ugly, for goodness sake. Cruz is a fucking coward.
DJ Synikus Makisimus
(201 posts)Not that Cruz would do it, I just wonder about the possibility. Would it it fly, or would it not fly because of A) Statute of Limitations, B) Some clause in Pecker's immunity deal with the DOJ in the Michael Cohen prosecution, C) because it is considered "political speech" in which lying is permitted, or D) something I haven't thought of?
Any lawyers or recovering lawyers about?
LeftInTX
(25,565 posts)It's probably past the statute of limitations.
Not a lawyer, so wait for an expert..LOL
heckles65
(549 posts)"Don't worry - we can control him!" (Sound familiar?)
Bristlecone
(10,135 posts)Marthe48
(17,035 posts)I didn't ever believe they used real paper and ink :/
Kennah
(14,315 posts)oasis
(49,410 posts)term disaster for America.
Mawspam2
(741 posts)LeftInTX
(25,565 posts)hadEnuf
(2,215 posts)but shouldn't that open people's eyes further to these other "news" sources that were right along with the Enquirer in being Trump's personal propaganda service as well?
Even those who have the political attention span of a gnat should be saying WTH....
ArkansasDemocrat1
(1,247 posts)It's so hard to keep them all straight!
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)But that's where we are today.
William Gustafson
(299 posts)mwb970
(11,366 posts)Didn't we already know this?
Lonestarblue
(10,085 posts)The fact that a majority of Republicans still believe that Trump won in 2020 in spite of no evidence of significant voting fraud says a lot about the media they choose to believe.
Novara
(5,851 posts)Vinca
(50,310 posts)Not one lousy vertebra in the whole GOP.
James48
(4,441 posts)Not a natural born USA citizen.