President Trump openly threatened Wednesday to go after the licenses of “NBC and the Networks,” as he ratcheted up his complaints about “Fake News.”
“With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!” Trump tweeted.
With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
This was after he challenged the accuracy of an NBC News report that said he sought a “nearly tenfold increase” in the nuclear arsenal during a summer meeting.
“Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a ‘tenfold’ increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC=CNN!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a "tenfold" increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
The president’s comments reportedly came during a gathering with national security leaders. NBC reported that Trump’s comments were in response to a briefing slide that was presented showing a decrease in U.S. nuclear weapons since the late 1960s.
“Trump indicated he wanted a bigger stockpile, not the bottom position on that downward-sloping curve,” NBC News reported.
Officials reportedly were surprised by Trump’s suggestion, but said no expansion in the nuclear arsenal was planned.
A representative for NBC News did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday, though MSNBC host Ali Velshi tweeted that the network “stands by our reporting.”
Great to see your commitment to accuracy @realDonaldTrump. @NBCNews stands by our reporting https://t.co/DfSYG7sCAd https://t.co/DfSYG7sCAd
— Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) October 11, 2017
The president’s and the government’s power in this area could be limited anyway. According to the FCC’s own guidelines, the commission only licenses individual broadcast stations, not entire “TV or radio networks (such as CBS, NBC, ABC or Fox).”
This isn’t the first time the president has blasted NBC News’ reporting. Just last week, the network reported on rifts between the president and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, claiming Tillerson considered resigning over the summer and once called the president a “moron.”
Both Trump and Tillerson disputed the report, which had claimed Vice President Pence even intervened to assuage Tillerson’s concerns.
“My commitment to the success of our president and our country is as strong as it was the day I accepted his offer to serve as secretary of state…There is much to be done, and we’re just getting started,” Tillerson said last week. “The vice president has never had to persuade me to remain as secretary of state because I have never considered leaving this post.”
Trump blasted the report as “Fake News.”
