Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts on Friday said it was “unfair” of President Trump to single out CNN as “fake news” after Roberts was widely condemned for failing to defend the cable news network after Trump criticized the network at a press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
“In today’s press conference, I paused while my colleague from CNN went back and forth with President Trump over a question,” Roberts said in a statement issued by Fox News. “When it became clear that the president wasn’t going to entertain a question from him, I proceeded with my question, as did my fellow colleagues in the press corps.”
“I also used to work at CNN,” he continued. “There are some fine journalists who work there and risk their lives to report on stories around the world. To issue a blanket condemnation of the network as ‘fake news’ is also unfair.”
Earlier, Trump and CNN’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta traded barbs after the president refused to take questions from him at a joint media opportunity hosted by the world leaders following a series of bilateral meetings in the U.K.
“CNN is fake news. I don’t take questions from CNN,” Trump said. “John Roberts of Fox. Let’s go to a real network.”
“Thank you, Mr. President,” Roberts replied.
Roberts’ reaction to the exchange drew ire from political pundits, such as former Obama White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer.
.@johnrobertsFox had an opportunity to speak up after Trump trashed CNN and NBC, but he didn’t because that would break with Fox’s strategy.
He was once a real reporter, now he aids and abets a propaganda operation for a living
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) July 13, 2018
But the most stinging rebukes came from fellow journalists, including CNN’s chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper and CNN media reporter Hadas Gold.
Old enough to remember when other networks came to the defense of Fox News WH correspondents during the Obama years. Such did not happen here.
Lesson for the kids out there: no one should ever try to do the right thing with the expectation it will ever be reciprocated. https://t.co/Ym7E94k2Wz
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 13, 2018
The U.S. president doing this abroad is like giving authoritarian leaders around the world, who put reporters in jail, who try to quash a free press, a green light. https://t.co/JxANJ42YJa
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) July 13, 2018
The appropriate response from Fox reporter at that moment? “Mr President, I must object. CNN is a real network.” Fine to then ask Q but to ignore and abet that false claim is journalistic malpractice.
— Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) July 13, 2018
In 2009, when the Obama White House tried to shut out Fox News, the rest of the press corps stood with them. In 2018, when Trump refused to take questions from @Acosta, called @CNN “fake news,” Fox News helped him move the presser along without objection.
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) July 13, 2018
That was not a proud moment for @johnrobertsFox
— David Frum (@davidfrum) July 13, 2018
Would be nice if @johnrobertsFox would’ve started his question there by saying he believes CNN is a real network too. Not a good look.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) July 13, 2018
Watch the moment from the press conference below:
President @realDonaldTrump: “@CNN is fake news. I don’t take questions from CNN.” pic.twitter.com/HMT09CmLXz
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 13, 2018
