DONALD Trump has blasted American media for reporting “fake news” surrounding his relationship with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un in a series of tweets claiming he was misquoted, it has emerged.
The Republican firebrand attacked the Wall Street Journal for saying that he had a good relationship with the despot leader.
He tweeted: “The Wall Street Journal stated falsely that I said to them ‘I have a good relationship with Kim Jong-un’ (of North Korea).
“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!"
The President continued to skewer the US outlet by claiming it did not “even try to get it right”.
He went on: “So much Fake News is being reported. They don’t even try to get it right, or correct it when they are wrong.
"They promote the Fake Book of a mentally deranged author, who knowingly writes false information. The Mainstream Media is crazed that WE won the election!”He replied: “I don’t want to comment on it. I’m not saying I have or haven’t. I just don’t want to comment.”
In response to the bashing from the President, the Wall Street Journal defended its claims and declared the audio and transcript proves they are correct.
It said: “The White House disputed that President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview Thursday that ‘I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un of North Korea,’ saying that Mr Trump had instead said ‘I’d probably have a very good relationship’ with the North Korean leader.“The Journal stands by what it reported. The Journal and White House agreed before the interview that audiotape taken by White House officials and reporters would be used for transcription purposes only."
"After the White House challenged the Journal’s transcription and accuracy of the quote in a story, The Journal decided to release the relevant portion of the audio. The White House then released its audio version of the contested segment.
“A transcript of the interview created by an independent transcription service for The Journal and posted online by the newspaper Thursday evening also said that Mr Trump had said ‘I’ rather than ‘I’d’.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders agreed with the President by declaring that “Fake News is at it again!” and that the Journal falsely quoted him.
Her tweet read: “President Trump said, I’D probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. I’D — I’D — I’D — NOT I!”
She also released the White House’s version of the audio on the social network.