Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Friday refused to be drawn into criticism of President Trump’s remarks before a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention this week, in which Trump assailed “the fake news media,” and told the audience, “Don’t believe the crap you see from these people.”

The attack on the press, which included Trump urging attendees to “remember, what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening,” prompted some audience members to loudly boo the reporters covering the speech, and later prompted the VFW to say it was “disappointed” with audience members’ reaction.

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