DRAMA: Trump reportedly explodes at media bigwigs in off-record meeting
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday reportedly lashed out at several top media executives and their outlets in a high-profile meeting, according to The New York Post.
Prominent journalists and executives from CNN, NBC, CBS, and Fox were among those in attendance at the meeting at Trump Tower.
"Trump kept saying, 'We're in a room of liars, the deceitful dishonest media who got it all wrong.' He addressed everyone in the room calling the media dishonest, deceitful liars. He called out Jeff Zucker by name and said everyone at CNN was a liar, and CNN was [a] network of liars,” a source told the Post.
Trump specifically took aim at Zucker, CNN's president, telling him: "I hate your network. Everyone at CNN is a liar, and you should be ashamed," according to the Post.
Those in attendance were under the impression that the media's access to Trump would be discussed, but instead got an earful from Trump.
The president-elect has repeatedly criticized the media for what he said was biased coverage of his campaign and described journalists as "dishonest."
On Monday night, Trump continued his battle with the press on Twitter, which he referred to as "the crooked media," dismissing suggestions that his business investments could present potential conflicts of interests as commander-in-chief.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/800885097775955974
Prior to the election it was well known that I have interests in properties all over the world.Only the crooked media makes this a big deal!
Earlier, Kellyanne Conway, Trump's senior adviser who ran his presidential campaign, called the meeting "excellent" and "unprecedented," praising the fact that it was arranged in two days.
Conway later denied that Trump lashed out at the media during the meeting.
"No that’s not true at all. I sat right to his left. He did not explode in anger," Conway said during an appearance on Bloomberg's "With All Due Respect."
She added:
“By the way, it’s an off the record meeting, so whoever said that and mischaracterized it should think twice. But no he did not explode in anger. He’s the president-elect. He won … winning solves a lot of problems. Winning makes a lot of statements. I’m really happy he reached out to them after a very long and bruising, hard fought, not always fairly covered campaign."
A Politico report characterized the meeting as "less intense," with Trump expressing the possibility of a "reset" in relations with the press. But that report also suggested he ripped into the executives in attendance.
The meeting came as the media has scrutinized Trump for his lack of press access. He has not held a press conference since winning the election and has yet to accommodate a protective pool, which would allow a member of the media to be with him at all times.
Last week, Trump broke protocol and left Trump Tower to have dinner in New York City without alerting a pool of journalists waiting outside of his home.
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