The man who jumped to George Zimmerman’s defense in the Trayvon Martin case was grilled on MSNBC yesterday for claiming that he was a good friend of the man who killed the unarmed 17-year-old.
As previously reported, Joe Oliver told ABC that his friend Zimmerman used a “term of endearment” when he called Martin a “f—— goon” before he shot him, not a “f—— coon” as many believed.
On March 27, Oliver appeared as a guest on “Last Word” with host Lawrence O’Donell, who accused him of not really knowing Zimmerman.
In a matter of moments, Oliver proved O’Donnell’s point and stumbled over questions about his “close pal”‘ causing O’Donnell to shut him down saying, “You don’t even have a consistent story. You’ve told us you don’t know what his mistakes were; then you tell us he grew from them. There’s so much you don’t know, Joe.”
New York Times columnist Charles Blow who accused Oliver of “playing people like they’re stupid,” and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart also joined in, leaving the former news anchor reeling.
“Let me clarify my relationship with George. My relationship with George is one like an older uncle. I’m old enough to be his father,” said Oliver.
“So you’re not a close friend of George Zimmerman’s, at best you’re really just an acquaintance?” asked Capehart.
“Well, the close was not ever my term. That close term was coined ever since I came forward to speak on his behalf,” Oliver added.
Check out the grilling of Joe Oliver below.
