The Trump administration decided it would be a good idea to attack The Wall Street Journal for being "fake news" for accurately quoting what Trump said during an interview he gave them last week, and things went about as well as one would expect when they happen to have the whole thing recorded.
His gaslighting press secretary, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders posted this on Twitter yesterday:
Her boss went after them this morning on Twitter as well: Trump rips Wall Street Journal: I never said I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un:
President Trump on Sunday morning went after The Wall Street Journal, claiming he never said he had a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"The Wall Street Journal stated falsely that I said to them 'I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un' (of N. Korea)," Trump tweeted.
"Obviously I didn’t say that. I said 'I’d have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un,' a big difference. Fortunately we now record conversations with reporters...and they knew exactly what I said and meant. They just wanted a story. FAKE NEWS!"
His comments come after Trump reportedly said last week in an interview with the newspaper that he "probably" has a "very good relationship" with the North Korean leader.“
I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised.”
When asked during the interview if he has spoken with Kim, Trump said he didn't want to comment.“
I’m not saying I have or haven’t,” Trump said. “I just don’t want to comment.”
Sanders responded to her own tweet last night with a portion of the audio of the interview:
Unfortunately for her, all it did was verify that the transcript is accurate. The WSJ responded by posting a portion of the audio on twitter as well along with a link to the entire transcript.
From their article: Transcript of Donald Trump Interview With The Wall Street Journal:
WSJ: Are you worried, Mr. President, that sending—delaying military exercises on the peninsula for the Olympics sends the wrong message to the North?
Mr. Trump: Say it again?
WSJ: Are you concerned that delaying military exercises on the Korean Peninsula for the Olympics sends the wrong message to the North Koreans, that you’re in some way bending to them?
Mr. Trump: You’re the first one that’s asked that question. No, I don’t think anybody thinks that I’m bending. I think that people that, if anything, I’m being too tough.
No, I think it’s inappropriate to have the Olympics, have millions of people going to the Olympics hopefully, have North Korea going to the Olympics, and we’re having exercises on the beach. No, I think that it doesn’t—I think it sends a good message to North Korea, not a bad message. I think it would be totally inappropriate to do that during the Olympics.
WSJ: You think North Korea is trying to drive a wedge between the two countries, between you and President Moon?
Mr. Trump: I’ll let you know in—within the next 12 months, OK, Mike?
WSJ: Sure.
Mr. Trump: I will let you know. But if I were them I would try. But the difference is I’m president; other people aren’t. And I know more about wedges than any human being that’s ever lived, but I’ll let you know. But I’ll tell you, you know, when you talk about driving a wedge, we also have a thing called trade. And South Korea—brilliantly makes—we have a trade deficit with South Korea of $31 billion a year. That’s a pretty strong bargaining chip to me.
With that being said, President Xi has been extremely generous with what he’s said, I like him a lot. I have a great relationship with him, as you know I have a great relationship with Prime Minister Abe of Japan and I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un of North Korea.
I have relationships with people, I think you people are surprised.
WSJ: Just to be clear, you haven’t spoken to the North Korean leader, I mean when you say a relationship with Korea—
Mr. Trump: I don’t want to comment on it—I don’t want to comment, I’m not saying I have or I haven’t. But I just don’t—
WSJ: Some people would see your tweets, which are sometimes combative towards Kim Jong Un...
Mr. Trump: Sure, you see that a lot with me and then all of a sudden somebody’s my best friend. I could give you 20 examples. You give me 30. I’m a very flexible person.
