The Washington Post fired back at President Donald Trump, who appeared to mock the newspaper's reporting on former national security adviser Mike Flynn's conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
In his Friday speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference Trump was openly critical of the media for using unnamed sources, media blogger Erik Wemple notes in an opinion column in the Post.
"I'm against the people that make up stories and make up sources," Trump said.
And the president added: "A few days ago, I called the fake news the enemy of the people and they are — they are the enemy of the people. Because they have no sources — they just make them up when there are none. I saw one story recently where they said nine people have confirmed. There are no nine people. I don't believe there was one or two people."
Wemple pointed out the Post had published a story on Feb. 9 headlined: "National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say."
In the story, the Post said: "Nine current and former officials, who were in senior positions of multiple agencies at the time of the calls, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters."
The Post's executive editor Marty Baron had this to say about Trump's attack:
"Everything we published regarding Gen. Flynn was true, as confirmed by subsequent events and on-the-record statements from administration officials themselves. The story led directly to the general's dismissal as national security adviser. Calling press reports fake doesn't make them so."
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