President Donald Trump has demanded the firing of journalists from CNN and The New York Times over their protection of latest U.S. airstrikes in Iran.
“FAKE NEWS REPORTERS FROM CNN & THE NEW YORK TIMES SHOULD BE FIRED, IMMEDIATELY!!! BAD PEOPLE WITH EVIL INTENTIONS,” Trump wrote in all caps Thursday on his Truth Social platform.
Such a direct name for the dismissal of journalists is extremely uncommon in democratic nations, the place press freedom is a foundational precept.
CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post earlier this week reported that the weekend’s bombardment did not destroy Iran’s underground nuclear amenities, citing officers accustomed to a navy intelligence evaluation by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency.
Trump rapidly dismissed the studies as “fake news” and insisted that Iran’s nuclear program had been set again “basically decades.”
The Times reported that Trump had threatened the paper with a lawsuit and demanded an apology.
The paper cited its lawyer, David McCraw, as responding in a letter that “no retraction is needed.”
“No apology will be forthcoming,” McCraw added. “We told the truth to the best of our ability. We will continue to do so.”
Trump has recurrently criticized mainstream media shops, calling them “fake news media,” and has focused these crucial of his administration’s insurance policies.
He has been notably vocal, usually utilizing inflammatory language, in response to reporting that questions the extent of harm inflicted on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, which stays unclear.
Source: www.dailysabah.com