As if it weren’t enough that gossip writer Michael Wolff baselessly yet aggressively accused Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, of having an affair with President Trump, the “Fire and Fury” author continues to slander Haley in other ways.

This morning after an appearance on “Morning Joe,” Wolff attempted to continue his rumormongering. To her credit, cohost Mika Brzezinski nipped it in the bud. People, like Wolff, who spread rumors for a living represent a special kind of arrogant agitator who is bad not just for politics, but society. Wolff’s behavior cheapens politics, ideological debate, and women like Haley, who do well at both. He needs to be shut down.

.@MichaelWolffNYC cut off on @Morning_Joe after claiming he didn't accuse .@nikkihaley of anything. Bizarre segment. The hosts praised "Fire and Fury" to Wolff's face last month: "The spirit of it was completely true." https://t.co/zmoyrgedL2 pic.twitter.com/JwqoSWeyAf — David Rutz (@DavidRutz) February 1, 2018

After Mika cut Wolff off, Wolff tweeted his disgust.

TheSkimm, a news aggregator, asserted Haley was upset about Wolff’s claim. In fact, Haley said she found rumors of an affair with Trump to be “disgusting” and “highly offensive.”

Wolff clapped back and said it seemed to him that she rather enjoyed the idea: “Or she seems to me — I would say she seems to have embraced it. All she does is hammer on this fact. I mean, if I were being accused of something—and I am not accusing her of anything—she hasn’t tried to avoid this, let’s say.” Several days into this bizarre, revolting and most importantly unfounded rumor, other members of the media have finally had enough.

Hey @MichaelWolffNYC: it must be fun to write and say whatever you want under the banner of “non-fiction,” with zero fact-checking or basic decency. I have no idea why you put me in your author acknowledgments but please remove my name for the next edition. https://t.co/fNkqff4IeY — Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) January 31, 2018

Even the Dictionary’s Twitter account came to Nikki Haley’s defense.

Rumor. A story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts. #NikkiHaleyhttps://t.co/rVlr0QCT8j https://t.co/oA0cpsNf4X — Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) January 31, 2018

There are several problems with Wolff’s comment. Keep in mind, Wolff is still in the media at all because of “Fire and Fury,” his gossip book about the Trump administration’s first months. Several portions of that book have been found to be false or lacking citations. Suffice it to say, reputable writers would have engaged in more studious fact-checking before publishing a book like that about the sitting president’s campaign.

Wolff might want to look into a few decent attorneys for publishing what others might call libel. The book caused a stir as soon as it was published, not because it was so good but because it was so bad. You might recall Meghan McCain nailed Wolff on “The View” for publishing portions of the book he had been told were off the record. (You go girl.)

As the appetite for his flimsy book dwindled and Wolff saw his 15 minutes of fame quickly fading, he suddenly dropped the affair rumor. There is no evidence to support this crass accusation. Rumors of infidelity are offensive. They’re especially disgusting because they imply there’s no way a minority female got to the top of her political game on her own merits. She must have slept around in exchange for favors. Allegations like this cheapen Haley’s worth, and that of all women trying to make it based not on their sex but merit and will.

This is a 46-year-old former governor of South Carolina who showed up at the United Nations in December and threatened to defund them for condemning the United States’ decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. She did this with deftness, skill, and fortitude, and neither the world nor we shall soon forget it.

Over and over again, Haley has shown she believes in conservative values and represents them with poise, grace, ferocity and determination. How dare Wolff, with zero facts and even less respect for Haley’s position and intellect, waltz into the middle of her life’s work and claim she must have slept around to get to that point. It’s not just untrue, it’s insulting, and it needs to end. Wolff might want to fact-check his second edition before meeting his lawyer to figure out if the words “libel” and “slander” apply to his baseless rumormongering.