WASHINGTON – The White House is disputing a Democratic senator’s claim that top economic adviser Gary Cohn faked bad reception to get U.S. President Donald Trump off the phone.
Delaware Sen. Tom Carper said Wednesday in a CNN interview that he and other Democrats had been in a meeting with several White House officials discussing tax reform when the president called from Asia. He was put on speakerphone.
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Carper says 15 minutes later, he suggested that Cohn take the phone and say, “Mr. President, you’re brilliant! But we’re losing contact and I think we’re going to lose you now, so goodbye.” He says Cohn did just that.
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But White House spokesman Raj Shah says Carper’s account is “completely false.” He says Cohn spoke with Trump privately several minutes before ending the call.