US President Donald Trump, who has been having a running battle with the major American media networks right from the time he launched his White House bid, is now so disgusted with the “Fake News” networks that he wishes their licences are challenged and possibly revoked.
Trump’s latest outburst came with NBC News put out a story that he wants a 10-fold expansion of the United States’ nuclear arsenal. He called the report “pure fiction, made up to demean”, adding, “NBC=CNN”.
“Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate revoked. Not fair to public!” Trump tweeted on Wednesday.
“With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their licenseIJ Bad for country!” he said. Trump later dealt with the issue during a joint media appearance with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, telling a questioner: “It’s frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write. And people should look into it.”
“I never discussed increasing it (N-arsenal). I want it in perfect shape. That was just fake news by NBC, which gives a lot of fake news, lately,” he said.
“I want to have absolutely perfectly maintained — which we are in the process of doing —nuclear force. But when they said I want ten times what we have right now, it’s totally unnecessary,” he said, adding Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has also put out a statement, calling it fake news.
Asked if he thought there should be limits on what the Press should write, Trump replied: “No, the press should speak more honestly. I mean, I’ve seen tremendously dishonest press. It’s not even a question of distortion, like the question that was just asked before about ten times the nuclear capability. I know the capability that we have, believe me, and it is awesome. It is massive.”
“And so when they make up stories like that, that’s just made up. And the generals will tell you that. And then they have their sources that don’t exist. In my opinion, they don’t exist. They make up the sources. There are no sources,” he said.