MSBNC host stands up against rumors of Trump-Haley affair, cuts off Michael Wolff's interview

Co-host Mika Brzezinski abruptly ended an interview with author Michael Wolff on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Thursday after an exchange about President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, went awry.

The host questioned popular insinuations of a Trump-Haley affair, which were apparently sparked by the author's controversial book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."

What's the history?

The reports of a Trump-Haley affair stemmed from a notable passage in "Fire and Fury," which stated: "The president had been spending a notable amount of private time with Haley on Air Force One and was seen to be grooming her for a national political future."

Wolff, speaking to HBO talk show host Bill Maher last week, said that he believed the president was "absolutely" having an affair and indicated that he'd left a trail of breadcrumbs in his book that would lead to Trump's alleged mistress.

Many observers interpreted that Haley was a Trump mistress.

Haley, the former Republican governor of South Carolina, later vehemently denied any insinuations that she'd had an affair with the president, calling the reports "disgusting." Haley added that assuming a woman slept her way to the top is a common tactic to smear women in powerful positions.

"I have literally been on Air Force One once and there were several people in the room when I was there," she explained during a podcast of Politico's Women Rule.

"[Wolff] says that I’ve been talking a lot with the president in the Oval about my political future," Haley said. "I’ve never talked once to the president about my future, and I am never alone with him."

What happened on 'Morning Joe?'

The "Morning Joe" panel brought up Haley's dismissal of claims that she had an affair with Trump.

During the exchange, Brzezinski pointed to Wolff's book, which she questioned for its credibility, and asked Wolff if he regretted "inferring anything" about Haley.

"I’m going to go as far as to say, you might be having a fun time playing a little game dancing around this, but you’re slurring a woman," Brzezinski told Wolff after he refused to commit to an answer. "It’s disgraceful."

Wolff said Haley denied something she hadn't been accused of and noted that he'd never actually made such accusations, but Brzezinski, who was visibly agitated and put off by the conversation, brought the discussion to a sudden end.

"Come on, are you kidding?" Brzezinski responded. "You’re on the set of 'Morning Joe' — we don’t B.S. here."

She continued, "If you don’t get what we’re talking about, I’m sorry, this is awkward, you’re here on the set with us, but we’re done."

"Michael Wolff, thank you. We’re going to go to break now," she said, and the show cut to commercial.

Did anything happen next?

When the show returned from break, Wolff was no longer seated at the table.

He was, however, present on social media, where he tweeted about his experience on the MSNBC show.

After the interview, Wolff wrote on Twitter, "My bad, the President is right about Mika."

"To be invited on a show with the purpose of being thrown off...is the new television," he added. "In other words, I had to say what Mika wanted me to say, or else...the hook!"

My bad, the President is right about Mika.

— Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) February 1, 2018

To be invited on a show with the purpose of being thrown off...is the new television.

— Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) February 1, 2018

In other words, I had to say what Mika wanted me to say, or else...the hook!

— Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) February 1, 2018

He wasn't done there, though, and it was very apparent that he had much more to say.

Doubling down on his remarks from "Morning Joe," Wolff added, "And let me repeat: Nikki Haley has chosen to vociferously deny something she was not accused of," but quickly turned his sights back toward the "Morning Joe" co-hosts.

"The last time I was on Morning Joe off camera Joe and Mika eager to gossip about who Trump might be sleeping with," he tweeted.

He added, "It really would be hard to gossip more eagerly off camera than Mika and Joe gossip."

And let me repeat: Nikki Haley has chosen to vociferously deny something she was not accused of.

— Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) February 1, 2018

The last time I was on Morning Joe off camera Joe and Mika eager to gossip about who Trump might be sleeping with.

— Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) February 1, 2018

It really would be hard to gossip more eagerly off camera than Mika and Joe gossip.

— Michael Wolff (@MichaelWolffNYC) February 1, 2018