Donald Trump's spokeswoman Katrina Pierson pushed back on allegations - that started with a National Enquirer story - that she had an affair and 'came on' to Sen. Ted Cruz
The National Enquirer published a story that says investigators are looking into claims that Ted Cruz cheated with five women
In the story the women weren't named, but Republican strategist Liz Mair - who runs an anti-Trump super PAC - identified them on Twitter
Mair named Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson who pushed back saying the operative knew the allegation was false but spread the story anyway
Mair suggested that Pierson may have 'come on' to Cruz but said it was an 'obviously false' allegation that Pierson had an affair
After leaving Ted Cruz's PR shop on the hill, Amanda Carpenter is a familiar conservative face on CNN
A senior aide to Donald Trump has rejected claims being circulated on Twitter that she ‘came on’ to Ted Cruz – and that she was one of the five women a tabloid claimed had an affair with the senator.
While another, a prominent CNN contributor, called the story 'tabloid trash.'
'What's worse? People who actually believe the trash in tabloids, or the ones who know it's false & spread it anyway? #stupidity on all levels,' Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson tweeted this morning.
The tweet was directed at Liz Mair, the Republican operative running the anti-Trump super PAC Make America Awesome, which was behind the controversial nude Melania Trump ad that sparked a fight between Trump and Cruz this week.
Mair had pointed to a National Enquirer article making the rounds, headlined '5 romps that will destroy Ted Cruz,' which suggested the Texas senator had had affairs with five women.
The article doesn't name names, but includes blurred out pictures of the women.
Mair named two of the women in the pictures after Twitter users started pointing fingers: Pierson and Amanda Carpenter, a CNN contributor who formerly worked as Cruz's communications director on Capitol Hill.
'Ted Cruz should sue over [obviously] false allegation he had an affair [with] Katrina Pierson, [though] I've heard she may have come onto him. Who knows,' Mair wrote.
When Dailymail.com asked Pierson about the allegations included in the National Enquirer story she wrote back: 'Speaking for myself, the article is trash and 100 percent false.'
A National Enquirer article floated the idea this week that Ted Cruz (left) cheated on his wife Heidi Cruz (right) with FIVE women - a who's who of Republican politics
Donald Trump's spokeswoman Katrina Pierson wrote this tweet this morning after Republican strategist publicly named her as one of the five women the National Enquirer claimed had an affair with Sen. Ted Cruz
Republican strategist Liz Mair - whose super PAC Make America Awesome produced a controversial nude Melania Trump ad - outed Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson as one of the five women the National Enquirer suggested slept with Ted Cruz after Twitter users started identifying her
The tweet served as her finger wag to Mair.
Contacted by email, Mair's out-of-office reply indicated that had already left for the Easter holiday and would be back next week.
Turning to the Carpenter allegation, Mair wrote: 'As for people suggesting Amanda Carpenter slept [with] Cruz, she should sue them.'
'That is [obviously] false, as anyone who knows Amanda knows,' Mair continued.
'It would also be fun to get access to Trump comms staff, Trump Org emails as part of discovery in a defamation suit,' Mair added in another tweet, tagging Carpenter's Twitter handle.
Carpenter was forced to respond to the story during a live television segment.
The CNN contributor appeared alongside Trump supporter Adriana Cohen, a columnist for the Boston Herald.
The two women were supposed to be discussing this week's tiff between the Cruz and Trump camps, but instead Cohen brought the tabloid story up.
'If we're going to call Donald Trump's character into question, I would like Ted Cruz to issue a statement on whether or not the story is true, that he has had affairs with may women, including, you were named, Amanda,' Cohen said, pointing to her co-panelist.
'Will you denounce this story or will you confirm it?'
Carpenter denounced, with an assist from host Kate Bolduan, who made it clear to the viewing audience that CNN had done no reporting to lend credibility to the Enquirer's account.
'It's categorically false,' Carpenter said. 'You should be ashamed for spreading this smut. Donald Trump supporters should be held to account for it.'
Cohen blasted back: 'I'm not spreading smut,' she said.
'I will not be intimated,' Carpenter replied. 'I will continue to make my thoughts known about Donald Trump. I am not backing down.'
On her Twitter page, Carpenter retweeted a show of support from prominent conservative pundit, who's also on CNN, Mary Katherine Ham.
'I am so with you, Amanda Carpenter & all the other women Trump & supporters casually smear,' Ham wrote, including a block quote of Carpenter defending herself against Cohen on CNN.
The original Enquirer story, which doesn't appear online, but has been picked up by gossip sites like Gawker, says that political operatives are compiling a 'dirt file' on Cruz with private investigators looking into claims that he had affairs with a who's who of Republican party politics – as well as a 'sexy Austin schoolteacher' and a 'Washington, D.C. call girl.'
Besides Pierson and Carpenter, the third political type worked for a different presidential campaign, which has now aligned itself with Cruz.
Liz Mair also named CNN's Amanda Carpenter, a former communicators director for Sen. Ted Cruz, as one of the women whose blurred face appeared in the National Enquirer story
Ironically, Sen. Ted Cruz spent much of his week defending his wife Heidi Cruz against attacks made by Donald Trump and his allies
The only on-the-record source for the story is Roger Stone, a longtime Trump ally who previously worked for the campaign.
'These stories have been swirling around Cruz for some time,' Stone told the tabloid. 'I believe where there is smoke, there is fire. I have to believe that this will hurt him with his evangelical Christian supporters.'
The attack on the credibility of Cruz's marriage comes at an interesting time in the campaign as he has spent the week vehemently defending his wife.
Once Trump saw the ad featuring naked Melania, he unleashed on Cruz, even though the spot was produced by Mair's super PAC.
In his most bold defense of Heidi Cruz yet, the candidate tore into The Donald during a campaign stop yesterday in Wisconsin.
'Donald, you're a sniveling coward and leave Heidi the hell alone,' Cruz said.
The Cruz campaign has yet to respond to the allegations being pushed by the National Enquirer.
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