MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace joked to a New York Times reporter Tuesday that she would tell him to grab a beer to celebrate his new story but that "doesn't sound as good as it did a week ago."
David Barstow phoned into "Deadline White House" to discuss his and two other writers' report Tuesday that President Donald Trump received the equivalent of $413 million from his father's empire through the use of questionable tax maneuvers and even fraud. One of Trump's lawyers called the story "defamatory."
Wallace, who now appears in a series of MSNBC ads promoting her Republican background and fierce opposition to the current White House, praised the piece and concluded with an obvious reference to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
"Congratulations on an extraordinary piece of reporting," she said. "I'd say go get a beer, but that doesn't sound as good as it did a week ago."
One panelist appreciatively chuckled.
Kavanaugh's drinking habits have come under the media microscope in recent weeks due to accusations of drunken sexual misconduct, which he has strongly denied. Kavanaugh testified that he still likes drinking beer and sometimes had too many in his youth, but he never blacked out or sexually assaulted anyone. There has been no direct corroboration of any accusations made against him.
Later in the program on Tuesday, Wallace wondered if the Saturday Night Live impression of Kavanaugh by Matt Damon last weekend would leave an indelible cultural mark like Tina Fey's portrayal of GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin in 2008.
Wallace, even a decade later, frequently speaks of her negative experiences on the campaign trail with Palin.