Donald Trump will never fire Katrina Pierson: Five of the craziest things the controversial spokeswoman has said on the campaign trail

Unlike Ted Cruz's shameless sacrifice of his spokesman this week, Trump finds his id echoed by Pierson

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published February 23, 2016 8:50PM (EST)

Donald Trump's national campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson has served as a lighting rod of controversy ever since joining the Republican's presidential campaign back in November. Despite her short time on the campaign trail, and even shorter commitment to Trump (she was a vocal Ted Cruz backer in 2012), Pierson has shown a shared liking of the outrageous bluster her boss is known to frequently employ that makes her a unique campaign standout and undoubtedly a favorite the former reality TV star turned Republican leader.

With Pierson back in the headlines today as her candidate is set to face off in the Nevada caucuses tonight, Salon has gathered some of the former cable news pundit's lowlights while stumping for the Donald on our airwaves:

On Trump's ban on Syrian refugees: "So what? They’re Muslims!”

Defending her boss' unconstitutional ban on Muslims and call to end all relocation of war torn Syrian refugees to the U.S., Pierson exhibited a complete lack of awareness while arguing with fellow conservative commentator S.E. Cupp on CNN.

"There really is something new about banning an entire religious group from the country,” Cupp remarked, pushing back on Pierson's assertion that Trump's “morally repulsive, unconstitutional, and un-American" ban is in keeping with American customs.

Pierson quickly shot back, arguing that “never in American history have we allowed insurgents to come across these borders!”

“No one’s talking about allowing insurgents,” Cupp replied. “You’re talking about not allowing regular Muslims.”

“Yes,” Pierson said, “from Arab nations. But you know what? So what? They’re Muslims!”

“‘So what?'” Cupp asked incredulously. “That’s not the America we live in.”

On her bullet necklace: "I'll wear a fetus next time" 

Screen Shot 2016-02-23 at 2.42.42 PM

"What is the point in having a good nuclear triad if you are afraid to use it?"

During a December interview on Fox News' "O'Reilly Factor," Pierson again debated a fellow conservative commentator, Kurt Schlichter, arguing that the U.S. "should not be afraid to use nuclear weapons" under a President Trump.

Pierson complained that most Republicans are happy to push for "perpetual wars," but are all bark and no bite when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, according to Mediaite.

"What is the point in having a good nuclear triad if you are afraid to use it?" she asked. To which an exasperated Schlichter replied: "The point of the nuclear triad is to be afraid to use the damn thing! You want to scare the hell out of the other side.”

The nuclear triad refers to the three ways nuclear weapons can be used: strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles or submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

On her 2012 tweet referring to President Obama as a half-breed: I do "not at all" regret it

When some of Pierson's antics on behalf of Trump began to be noticed, her public record came under increased scrutiny. Last month, Pierson was grilled about her 2012 tweet referring to President Obama as not a "pure breed" by CNN's Brian Stelter.

“Do you regret that?” Stetler asked her. “Would you like to retract that?”

“Not at all,” Pierson responded, explaining that “these tweets — I’m an activist, and I’m a half-breed. I’m always getting called a half-breed.” Pierson continued to defend herself: “On Twitter, when you’re fighting with liberals and even [the] establishment, you go back at them [with] the same silliness they’re giving you."

“You’re telling me,” Stetler replied, that “that was just silliness?”

“Absolutely,” Pierson replied.

"LBJ didn't give the Great Deal because he loves black people" 

In a recently released preview of the new We TV reality show "Sisters in Law," about African-American, female lawyers, Pierson makes a guest appearance at party hosted by a cast member in Texas before being booted from the home after engaging in a debate over Republicans' record on race upon introduction.

"Just like LBJ didn’t give the Great Deal because he loved black people," a obviously confused and defensive Pierson retorted after the party hostess remarked that Republican “like a dirty word” to her.

"That was the Civil Rights Act, honey, not the 'Great Deal,'" hostess Rhonda Willis snaps back.

"But it wasn’t because he loved black people," Pierson continues, holding on to her confusion of FDR's "New Deal" with LBJ's signing of the Civil Rights Act or perhaps his "Great Society."

“I’ve tolerated you, your ignorant opinions, your lack of education, and your lack of knowledge on very basic things like the Civil Rights Act,” a frustrasted Willis finally tells Pierson in the scene. “I’m now sick of hearing from you, and I want you to leave. Goodbye!”

After Pierson's exist, Willis adds: “She is so dumb. I’ve spent most of my career making sure that people’s rights that were given to them under the Civil Rights Act, that they actually have those rights, that they can utilize those rights. And this idiot comes into my house, and she doesn’t even know what it is, and she thinks it’s called the ‘great deal.’”

According to Buzzfeed, the scene was filmed at the end of July 2015. Pierson wasn't hired by the Trump campaign until November.

So, while Pierson will likely never be removed from team Trump for crossing the line with any of her incendiary campaign rhetoric that so aligns with the candidate she is paid to speak on behalf, if she finds herself stealing the spotlight from the Donald one too many times with one of her zany comments, she may find herself like Ted Cruz's national spokesman, Rick Tyler, this week -- out of a job.


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

MORE FROM Sophia Tesfaye


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

2016 Republican Primary Donald Trump Katrina Pierson Video