CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta said Wednesday night that whenever President Trump calls CNN “fake news” during a press conference, he takes it as an invitation to ask Trump a question.
“When you insult our news organization, when you call us ‘fake news,’ the way I look at it: hey that’s calling on me for a question,” Acosta told late night comedian Stephen Colbert.
Acosta told Colbert that he feels he says what a lot of the press corps at the White House feels or doesn’t get the chance to say in front of a camera.
“We are all fed up with the treatment we are receiving, and I’m not the only one to speak out about this,” Acosta said.
Acosta said his bad relationship with Trump stems from a press conference nine days before Trump was sworn in as president, when he would not take a question from CNN about the Steele dossier outlining Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.
Trump has often called mainstream media news outlets, and in particular has singled out CNN, as “fake news,” since his campaign for president.
Trump has recently upped the rhetoric towards “fake news,” calling what he says are falsified stories and made up sources the “enemy of the people.”
The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it’s TRUE. I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People. They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018
