Chuck Todd: Trump’s treatment of the press is un-American

“Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd on Thursday slammed President Trump’s efforts to “delegitimize” the media as “un-American.”

“This not a laughing matter. I’m sorry, delegitimizing the press is unAmerican,” Todd tweeted.

This not a laughing matter. I’m sorry, delegitimizing the press is unAmerican

— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) February 16, 2017

The tweet came during a White House news conference that saw Trump attack media reports about ties between campaign aides and the Kremlin, calling the revelations “false” and “fake.”

{mosads}The news conference was defined by a series of confrontations between Trump and reporters from various media outlets, including CNN and the BBC. When a reporter asked Trump about anti-Semitic sentiment in the country, Trump told the reporter to sit down.

The president frequently lashed out against questions about his relationship with Russia, and the recent resignation of embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn, who stepped down from the post amid revelations that he discussed U.S. sanctions with Russia’s ambassador.

Trump tried to steer media attention away from Russia, arguing that the real story was the stream of leaks coming out of the U.S. intelligence community and government agencies.

“The leaks are absolutely real,” Trump said. “The news is because so much of the news is fake.”

Trump has routinely disparaged the press since he was a presidential candidate, often using the term “fake news” to describe media coverage that he sees as unfavorable. The president has also echoed chief strategist Stephen Bannon’s claims that the press is “the opposition party.”