Chris Wallace: Trump’s ‘enemy of the people’ media attacks ‘absolutely unacceptable’

Fox News’s Chris Wallace had a robust debate with Stephen Colbert on Thursday night, with the “Late Show” host and “Fox News Sunday” host agreeing that it’s “absolutely unacceptable” for President Trump to call the media the “enemy of the people.”

At one point in the interview, held just days before Tuesday’s midterm elections, Colbert accused Wallace of defending the president. 

“Well, I’m not going to attack him,” Wallace replied.

{mosads}“Why not? If he lies all the time, why wouldn’t you attack him?” Colbert asked. 

“Because there are good things and bad things,” Wallace noted. “I mean, seriously.”

“If you pour poison in a cup of water, there’s still water in there,” Colbert retorted. “But I’m not going to drink it, because I’ll be poisoned.”

Wallace brought up the solid economic numbers under Trump, including the nation’s 3.7 percent unemployment rate. Colbert responded by crediting former President Obama for the strong economic conditions before asking Wallace if had ever been attacked by Trump.  

“Does he attack you? Has he ever attacked you?” Colbert asked. “Are you fake news? Are you the enemy of the people?”

“By his lights? I don’t know. Maybe,” Wallace replied. “Maybe a little bit.”

“Does that bother you when he calls the fake news the enemy of the people?” Colbert pressed.  

“I think it’s outrageous,” said Wallace. 

“Do you think it’s dangerous?” Colbert asked.

“Yes, I do,” Wallace said. “I think it’s absolutely unacceptable.”

Wallace moderated the third presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in October 2016. He started in the news business more than 50 years ago with CBS as an assistant to network anchor Walter Cronkite at the 1964 Republican National Convention.