President Donald Trump lashed out at CNN on Twitter after the news network accused U.S. troops in Iraq of breaking protocol by getting the president to sign memorabilia for them.
The president and first lady Melania Trump secretly left the White House late Christmas evening so that they could meet with troops in Iraq the day after Christmas. During the visit to Al Asad Air Base, Trump signed some “Make America Great Again” hats that service-members brought with them to the event.
CNN published a story Wednesday accusing the troops of breaking military protocol by engaging in “partisan political activities.”
Trump called out CNN for their reporting in a Thursday tweet, writing, “CNN & others within the Fake News Universe were going wild about my signing MAGA hats for our military in Iraq and Germany.”
“If these brave young people ask me to sign their hat, I will sign,” the president continued. “Can you imagine my saying NO? We brought or gave NO hats as the Fake News first reported!”
CNN & others within the Fake News Universe were going wild about my signing MAGA hats for our military in Iraq and Germany. If these brave young people ask me to sign their hat, I will sign. Can you imagine my saying NO? We brought or gave NO hats as the Fake News first reported!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2018
Trump has been routinely criticized for his relationship with U.S. military, including in an article by NBC News that prematurely claimed that Trump would be the “first president since 2002 not to visit troops at Christmastime.” Hours after NBC published that article, it was confirmed that the president was, in fact, making the visit to troops. (RELATED: Trump Criticized For Not Visiting Arlington Cemetery On Veterans Day)
NBC added an editor’s note to the article indicating their error but opted not to change the headline or the text of the piece.
