President Donald Trump continued to simmer over an NBC News report that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called him a “moron” and that Vice President Mike Pence had to stage an intervention to keep him from resigning.
The exclusive from NBC News was still annoying Trump enough on Thursday that he devoted a pair of tweets bashing the “fake news” — and once again called out the network by name. He also suggested a Senate investigation into the matter.
“Why Isn’t the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up-FAKE!” said Trump. “Rex Tillerson never threatened to resign. This is Fake News put out by @NBCNews. Low news and reporting standards. No verification from me.”
Why Isn’t the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up-FAKE!
On Wednesday, shortly after the news dropped, Tillerson held an awkward press conference at the State Department in which he refuted claims that he considered resigning and blasted the press for focusing on “petty” things.
“To address a few specifics that have been erroneously reported this morning, the vice president has never had to persuade me to remain as Secretary of State, because I have never considered leaving this post,” said Tillerson.
Tillerson sidestepped whether he had called the president a “moron” at a July meeting with national security advisers — though a State Department spokesperson later denied that he had.
On Wednesday, NBC News reporter Carol Lee said later on Wednesday that she stood by her reporting, based on meeting that the president did not attend.
Trump spent a good part of yesterday morning fuming over the allegations as well and took to Twitter almost immediately after Tillerson’s remarks to declare the issue settled.
The @NBCNews story has just been totally refuted by Sec. Tillerson and @VP Pence. It is #FakeNews. They should issue an apology to AMERICA!
… But if today is any indication — it’s probably not!
Here's Everyone Who Dumped Trump This Week (Photos)
In the wake of Trump's response to a violent white supremacist rally, "Unite the Right," in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend, several business leaders, council members and media personalities severed ties with the president. Quite a lot actually.
Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich Plank and Krzanich both followed Frazier's lead in quitting the council, citing Trump's Charlottesville response. Trump tweeted condemnation of Frazier, who is black, but for some reason said nothing about these two.
WikiCommons
Alliance for American Manufacturing president Scott Paul Early Tuesday morning, Paul became the fourth CEO to quit the manufacturing jobs group, and yes, he cited Trump's response to Charlottesville as the reason.
Twitter
Trump Makes It Worse Tuesday afternoon, Trump shocked the country with an off-the-rails press conference at Trump Tower in which he appeared to defend and sympathize with the racist mob in Charlottesville. Trump insisted there was blame, as well as "many fine people" on both sides of the conflict in which nazi-sympathizer murdered one person and injured 19 more with his car.
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AFL-CIO Bails Out Soon after Trump's rant, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations president Richard Trumka resigned from the manufacturing council.
CBS
Advisory Councils Disband On Wednesday, members of Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum agreed to disband after Trump's response to the violence in Charlottesville. Soon after, the president announced via Twitter that he was ending his executive councils.
Twitter
"I Voted For Trump, And I Sorely Regret It" That's the title of a New York Times op-ed written by Julius Krein, the founder and editor of pro-Trump website American Affairs. It went viral, though mainly because people were mocking it.
American Affairs
Trump Loses a Murdoch James Murdoch, CEO of 21st Century Fox and more importantly son of media magnate and conservative icon Rupert Murdoch, dissed Trump in a widely circulated email to employees. He also said he and his wife will donate $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League over POTUS' response to Charlottesville.
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The Arts and Humanities Council Disses Trump, then Disbands The Arts and Humanities Comittee resigned Friday morning en masse with a letter written so that the first letters of every paragraph spelled “RESIST.” The members include Kal Penn, Paula Boggs, Chuck Close, Richard Cohen, Fred Goldring and more.
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Bannon Ousted White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was reportedly fired Friday morning, though he insists he resigned July 27—giving two weeks’ notice—but his leaving was put off because of the events in Charlottesville. He will return to Breitbart news to go to “war” for Trump.
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Still More Resignations Politico reported Friday afternoon that a "wave of resignations" hit the Commerce Dept.'s "digital economy" board. More than half the members of the 15-member board resigned.
WikiCommons
A Billionaire BFF Bails on Trump Billionaire investor Carl Icahn stepped down Friday afternoon as unofficial special advisor to Trump, though he doesn't pile on. “I sincerely regret that because of your extremely busy schedule, as well as my own, I have not had the opportunity to spend nearly as much time as I’d hoped on regulatory issues,” he said in a letter to Trump.
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From the manufacturing council to James Murdoch, Trump’s response to Charlottesville has severed ties
In the wake of Trump's response to a violent white supremacist rally, "Unite the Right," in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend, several business leaders, council members and media personalities severed ties with the president. Quite a lot actually.