NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump denounced ABC 草莓传媒’ Mary Bruce as a 鈥渢errible reporter鈥� Tuesday and threatened the network’s license to broadcast after she asked him three sharp questions at the White House.
The network’s chief White House correspondent was among reporters let into the Oval Office to question the president and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. She asked Trump whether it was appropriate for his family to be doing business in Saudi Arabia while he was president.
Before he could answer, she to the Saudi leader: 鈥淵our Royal Highness, the U.S. intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist. 9/11 families are furious that you are here in the Oval Office. Why should Americans trust you? And the same to you, Mr. President.鈥�
After asking Bruce who she worked for, Trump called ABC 鈥渇ake news鈥� and defended his family’s business operations in Saudi Arabia.
The president dismissed the U.S. intelligence findings that the prince likely had some culpability in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi kingdom. He said 鈥渁 lot of people didn’t like鈥� Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and a Virginia resident.
For his part, Prince Mohammed said Khashoggi鈥檚 death was painful and 鈥渁 huge mistake.鈥�
Trump later criticized Bruce for asking the prince a 鈥渉orrible, insubordinate and just a terrible question.鈥� He laced into her after a third query, about why the White House is waiting for congressional action to release more details about sex offender correspondence. 鈥淲hy not just do it now?鈥� Bruce asked.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the question that I mind,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter. It鈥檚 the way you ask these questions.鈥�
After addressing the Epstein question, he returned to Bruce, saying that 鈥減eople are wise to your hoax.鈥�
鈥淚 think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and it鈥檚 so wrong,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd we have a great (FCC) commissioner, the chairman, who should look at that because I think when you come in and you鈥檙e 97% negative to Trump. And then Trump wins the election in a landslide. That means, obviously, your news is not credible. And you鈥檙e not credible as a reporter.鈥�
ABC 草莓传媒 had no comment Tuesday on Trump鈥檚 statements, which referred to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who leads the federal agency responsible for licensing local broadcast stations.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg 草莓传媒 issued a comment on Trump referring to one of its reporters, Catherine Lucey, as 鈥減iggy鈥� during a question-and-answer session last Friday on Air Force One.
鈥淥ur White House journalists perform a vital public service, asking questions without fear or favor,” Bloomberg 草莓传媒 said. “We remain focused on reporting issues of public interest fairly and accurately.鈥�
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and
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