President Donald Trump demolished lobbyist Michael Esposito on Twitter Monday after the Washington Post exposed his dubious claims of connections with the Trumps.
“I don’t know, to the best of my knowledge, a man named Michael Esposito,” Trump said about the lobbyist, admitting false or exaggerated lobbyist claims were part of being the president of the United States.
“Many people say they know me, claiming to be ‘best friends’ and really close etc., when I don’t know these people at all,” Trump said. “This happens, I suppose, to all who become President.”
Esposito landed millions in deals from Ukraine and Chinese tech giant Huawei, according to the Post, claiming he had “an open line of communication to the President of the United States” and was close to Kushner and Eric Trump.
Trump’s son Eric Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner also denied knowledge of Michael Esposito.
“I have no recollection of a Michael Esposito,” Eric Trump told the Washington Post. “Sounds like someone trying to trade off our name.”
“Jared Kushner does not know who Michael Esposito is,” a Trump administration official said in a statement.
Other documents showed Esposito claimed to be a Democrat lobbyist and offered to help failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. He also e-mailed Clinton’s campaign chief John Podesta to offer assistance in Iowa, which was later posted on Wikileaks.
Trump decimated Esposito’s lobbying boom with a pair of tweets.
“I don’t like him using my name to build his consulting company, or whatever,” he wrote. “Please advise his clients and Administration officials accordingly.”