CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent and host of “Face the Nation” John Dickerson confronted President Trump about his false accusations against President Obama, saying, “You don’t want to be fake news.”
“You said he (President Obama) was ‘sick and bad’ because he had tapped you– I’m just–” Dickerson asked Trump in the Oval Office of his false accusations against President Obama, in part 2 of the CBS interview.
“You can take– any way. You can take it any way you want,” Trump responded.
“But I’m asking you. Because you don’t want it to be fake news.”
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After trying to wave Dickerson’s question away and unable to answer the question because he still refuses to admit he was dead wrong, Trump abruptly ended the interview.
Watch the second part of CBS’ interview here:
Watch the first part of the interview aired on Sunday here.
Transcript from Washington Post:
JOHN DICKERSON: Did President Obama give you any advice that was helpful? That you think, wow, he really was–
DONALD TRUMP: — Well, he was very nice to me. But after that, we’ve had some difficulties. So it doesn’t matter. You know, words are less important to me than deeds. And you– you saw what happened with surveillance. And everybody saw what happened with surveillance–
JOHN DICKERSON: Difficulties how?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: — and I thought that — well, you saw what happened with surveillance. And I think that was inappropriate, but that’s the way–
JOHN DICKERSON: What does that mean, sir?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You can figure that out yourself.
JOHN DICKERSON: Well, I– the reason I ask is you said he was– you called him “sick and badâ€.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Look, you can figure it out yourself. He was very nice to me with words, but– and when I was with him — but after that, there has been no relationship.
JOHN DICKERSON: But you stand by that claim about him?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don’t stand by anything. I just– you can take it the way you want. I think our side’s been proven very strongly. And everybody’s talking about it. And frankly it should be discussed. I think that is a very big surveillance of our citizens. I think it’s a very big topic. And it’s a topic that should be number one. And we should find out what the hell is going on.
JOHN DICKERSON: I just wanted to find out, though. You’re– you’re the president of the United States. You said he was “sick and bad†because he had tapped you– I’m just–
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You can take– any way. You can take it any way you want.
JOHN DICKERSON: But I’m asking you. Because you don’t want it to be–
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You don’t–
JOHN DICKERSON: –fake news. I want to hear it from–
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You don’t have to–
JOHN DICKERSON: –President Trump.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: –ask me. You don’t have to ask me.
JOHN DICKERSON: Why not?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Because I have my own opinions. You can have your own opinions.
JOHN DICKERSON: But I want to know your opinions. You’re the president of the United States.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Okay, it’s enough. Thank you. Thank you very much.
That’s called a cut-and-run.
Donald Trump can’t admit that he was wrong about Obama wiretapping him. Trump didn’t even understand how wiretaps worked until after he publicly made his false accusation.
Dickerson rightly called Trump out on this accusation being “fake news”, and that caused Trump to end the interview because Dickerson refused to buy his vague innuendos as substitutions for facts.
This is how journalists have to operate with Trump. Nail him down or he will deny the very words he just said on tape.
Image: CBS screen cap
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