Watch: Trump Calls Out CNN Reporter's Absurd Question At G-7 News Conference
Prior to his highly anticipated trip to Singapore on June 12 for a summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump traveled to Quebec for a meeting of the G-7, a collection of the top economic and industrial nations around the world.
Largely owing to Trump’s tough stance on trade, which he views as unfairly stacked against the United States — not to mention his suggestion that Russia should resume its prior place in the former G-8 — there has been some tension at the G-7 Summit between the president and some of his counterparts, which the anti-Trump media were only too happy to play up.
In fact, one reporter — who unsurprisingly turned out to be from CNN — during a news conference asked a loaded question that seemed to imply that Trump was shunning America’s traditional allies in favor of cozying up with an authoritarian communist dictator, an absurd question based on an equally ridiculous premise.
“As you were heading into the G-7 talks there was a sense that America’s closest allies were frustrated with you and angry with you, and that you were angry with them and that you were leaving here early to go meet for more friendlier talks with Kim Jong Un in Singapore,” the reporter stated. “Do you view it the same way and do you view the U.S.’s alliances as shifting under your presidency?”
“Who are you with, out of curiosity?” asked Trump in reply. The reporter stated he was with CNN, which elicited guffaws from the gathered media and a knowing smile from the president.
“I figured, ‘fake news‘ CNN, the worst,” stated Trump. “But, you know, I could tell by the question — I had no idea you were CNN, after the question — I was just curious who you’re with, you’re with CNN.”
“I would say that the level of relationship is a 10. We have a great relationship,” the president continued in regard to U.S. allies.
Trump said that he didn’t blame any of America’s allies for any tension or hard feelings and reiterated that he considered prior U.S. leaders over the past several decades at fault for crafting trade agreements that placed America and American workers at a disadvantage vis-à-vis those same allies.
“Now we have a very good relationship and I don’t blame these people. But I will blame them if they don’t act smart and do what they have to do, because I have no choice,” Trump stated in regard to the tense renegotiation of trade deals with allies before repeating that previous deals had hurt American farmers, workers and productivity.
“Now, we are going to fix that situation, and if its not fixed we’re not going to deal with these countries,” he stressed. “But the relationship that I’ve had is great, so you can tell that to your fake friends at CNN.”
President Trump says the U.S. relationship with its allies "is a 10" following G-7 summit https://t.co/syywHUMwLG pic.twitter.com/mtKO3vrHT7
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 9, 2018
Unlike previous Republican presidents or congressional leaders, Trump refuses to cower before the partisan liberal media with their loaded questions.
Instead, he punches back in his own way to make it abundantly clear that their absurdity will be no longer tolerated.
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