Trump says he believes Scarborough ‘got away with murder’

President Trump on Wednesday said he believed that Joe Scarborough “got away with murder,” returning to talk of an unfounded conspiracy theory about the MSNBC “Morning Joe” host despite criticism.

“I’ve always felt that he got away with murder. That was my feeling, a very strong feeling, and I do feel it,” Trump said during a radio interview with Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday morning.

Trump also said that he spends time criticizing Scarborough and CNN anchor Chris Cuomo because he feels compelled to “hit back” at his critics.

“I just do it. People hit me, I hit back. I fight. I’ve always felt that about Scarborough,” Trump said.

Trump was widely criticized, including by some in his own party, for promoting a baseless theory about Scarborough’s potential involvement in the death of an aide in his Florida office in 2001 when he represented the state’s 1st Congressional District.

Trump tweeted repeatedly about the theory earlier this month, prompting Republicans such as House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (Wyo.) to urge him to stop.

The aide, Lori Klausutis, fell and hit her head at work in 2001 and was found dead the following morning. Scarborough was in Washington at the time, and the medical examiner ruled her death an accident. Klausutis had an undiagnosed heart condition, which is believed to have contributed to her death.

Her widower, Timothy Klausutis, recently wrote to Twitter asking the social media platform to remove the president’s tweets, accusing Trump of taking the memory of his deceased wife and “pervert[ing] it for perceived political gain.”

Twitter has thus far declined to remove the messages.

Brett Samuels contributed reporting.