The National Rifle Association’s media affiliate, NRATV, on Tuesday slammed “dishonest members of the media” who are saying conservative personality Dan Bongino was recently “dropped” by the network.

NRATV issued a statement Tuesday saying it “made every attempt” to keep Mr. Bongino on as host of “We Stand” after The Daily Beast reported a day earlier that said Mr. Bongino was “dropped” by the network amid a rash of downsizing.

“Dan Bongino made extremely strong the contributions to NRATV in his time here and we will certainly miss him moving forward,” NRATV said in a statement posted to Twitter. “We made every attempt to retain him in 2019 and wish him the very best in his continued defense of freedom. … Unfortunately, it’s no surprise that several dishonest members of the media jumped on false rumors fed by those who want to weaken the Second Amendment and hurt the voice of gun owners.”

The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay published a report Monday titled, “Dan Bongino Out at NRATV,” that said the President Trump-supporting host appeared to be a “casualty” of NRATV “downsizing its media operation.”

Mr. Bongino went on a tweetstorm accusing The Daily Beast and Mr. Markay of publishing “fake news,” saying the reality was that he turned down a “generous” renewal contract with NRATV.

This story is absolutely untrue and the “reporter” knows it. He texted me on Friday, after hearing I DECLINED A GENEROUS RENEWAL OFFER, this “Heard you didn’t renew with NRATV.” Yet, he lied & wrote I was “dropped” and liberal imbeciles immediately ran with it. This is fake news. https://t.co/XpSKFmxAcc — Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 10, 2018

Fake news specialists @Lachlan & @swin24 are getting dragged for their BS story. It’s ugly. It’s explainable one of two ways.

1) They have the absolute worst sources in the “journalism” business OR

2) They’re complete BS artists who tried to slip a fake story by their editors — Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 11, 2018

Dear @lachlan & @swin24,

Prepare for additional humiliation in just minutes. Tune in to NRATV and await the release of a statement entirely debunking your sorry attempt at “journalism.” I’ll await your retraction and apology.

Thanks,

Dan — Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 11, 2018

Mr. Bongino also repeatedly tweeted a screenshot of an apparent text from Mr. Markay seeking comment on his position at NRATV.

When you’re a morally bankrupt “reporter,” such as @Lachlan, & @swin24, hearing “I didn’t renew,” along with the employer stating they made “every effort to retain” me, means I was “dropped.” Must be nice never having to be honest. Friends don’t let friends trust the lib media pic.twitter.com/7ngs2ZdI2p — Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 11, 2018

Still waiting for my apology from alleged “reporter” @lachlan and his looney tune sidekick @swin24 who heard from their “source” that I “DIDN’T RENEW WITH NRATV” yet managed to transform that into a fake news headline about me being “dropped.” Here’s his text. 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/DDSMVVvkeA — Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 11, 2018

Asawin Suebsaeng, who contributed to Mr. Markay’s report, responded in a flurry of tweets saying NRATV’s statement actually validated their reporting.

I am trying to unwind nothing. @lachlan and I stand by everything that was published in the story.



There is only one person online tweeting about this story who sounds like they’re melting down.



https://t.co/mVb81Ucklx — Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) December 10, 2018

There is nothing in the screenshot you keep sharing the contradicts the story. https://t.co/HQ1SHdyCiR

— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) December 10, 2018

Mr. Suebsaeng also demanded that Mr. Bongino apologize for denigrating his and Mr. Markay’s reporting, to which the conservative commentator responded with a series of laughing emojis.

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