Irked by report, Donald Trump asks: When is it appropriate to challenge news networks' licenses?
Trump was unhappy with a report that said he told the US' "highest-ranking national security leaders" that he wanted "what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase" in America's nuclear arsenal.
In Short
- Trump says media outfits have run several fake stories on him
- He routinely blasts companies running stories he finds uncomfortable
- These companies include CNN and the New York Times
US President Donald Trump asked when it would be "appropriate" to challenge the licenses of American media outlets like the network NBC, which he accused of carrying a fake story about him.
Quoting three sources, the NBC report in question said Trump told the US' "highest-ranking national security leaders" that he wanted "what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase" in America's nuclear arsenal.
It also said Trump's Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was heard calling his boss a "moron" after the meeting.
On Wednesday, Trump complained in a tweet that the report was "pure fiction, meant to demean."
Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a "tenfold" increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
Trump says that since he won last year's presidential polls, media outlets have run several fake stories targeting him.
He routinely blasts networks running stories he finds uncomfortable - be it CNN, the New York Times or the Washington Post.
In March, Trump threatened to end White House Press briefings after a row over the ouster of former FBI director James Comey, even thought it was his press office that was at fault.
...Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future "press briefings" and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was then the White House's deputy Press Secretary, first said Comeys firing wouldn't affect the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US presidential election.
Then, she said Comeys removal would hasten the investigation. But Donald Trump himself later said he'd fired Comey to ensure that "the Russian meddling investigation is done absolutely properly."
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