Trump dismisses criticism from vice admiral who led Osama bin Laden mission

President Trump in an interview broadcast Sunday dismissed criticism from the now-retired Navy official who oversaw the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

“Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace noted during a discussion with the president that retired Navy Adm. William McRaven has said Trump’s attacks on the media are the “greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime.”

Trump in response called McRaven a “Hillary Clinton fan” and “Obama-backer.”

{mosads}”Wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn’t it have been nice?” Trump asked. “You know, living — think of this — living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don’t know, I’ve seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there.”

“You’re not even going to give them credit for taking down bin Laden?” Wallace asked.

“They took him down but — look, look, there’s news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we’re supporting Pakistan, we’re giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don’t give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us,” Trump responded.

McRaven was vice admiral at the time of the 2011 raid.

“I’m totally in favor of the media, I’m totally in favor of free press, got to be fair press,” he added.

Trump often attacks negative coverage as “fake news” and labels the press “enemies of the people.”  

A judge on Friday ordered the White House to restore CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credentials but did not rule whether the Trump administration violated CNN or Acosta’s First Amendment rights.

The White House had revoked the credentials after a contentious exchange between Trump and Acosta, who would not give up a microphone while questioning the president at a news conference.