CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl said that in July 2016, during the presidential campaign, Donald Trump told her why he berates and criticizes reporters with his "fake news" attack line.
Stahl's comments came while she was speaking Tuesday at the Deadline Club, an annual journalist awards ceremony. She said Trump made the remarks during an informal meeting.
Judy Woodruff and Stahl were discussing the attacks on reporters and news organizations when Stahl, unprompted, revealed Trump's comments to her and her boss just before the president-elect's interview.
"There were no cameras, there was nothing going on," Stahl said, when she began to ask Trump about his attacks on reporters. "And I said, 'You know, that is getting tired. Why are you doing this? You're doing it over and over and it's boring, and it's time to end that. You won the nomination.'"
"And he said, 'You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all, and demean you all, so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you.' He said that."
Wow. Lesley Stahl, speaking at the Deadline Club Awards, says she once asked Trump why he continues to relentlessly attack the press. His answer: “I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you." https://t.co/YVvDTD0Pm9
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.
Labeling major news networks and outlets as "fake news" is an attack line that the president has maintained from the campaign into his presidency, especially during rallies and in tweets.
Despite the disgusting, illegal and unwarranted Witch Hunt, we have had the most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history - by far! Sorry to the Fake News Media and “Haters,” but that’s the way it is!
He's used the term frequently concerning the investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russian officials to tamper with the 2016 election.
Can you believe that with all of the made up, unsourced stories I get from the Fake News Media, together with the $10,000,000 Russian Witch Hunt (there is no Collusion), I now have my best Poll Numbers in a year. Much of the Media may be corrupt, but the People truly get it!
The so-called leaks coming out of the White House are a massive over exaggeration put out by the Fake News Media in order to make us look as bad as possible. With that being said, leakers are traitors and cowards, and we will find out who they are!
The Fake News is going crazy making up false stories and using only unnamed sources (who don’t exist). They are totally unhinged, and the great success of this Administration is making them do and say things that even they can’t believe they are saying. Truly bad people!
If I wanted to fire Robert Mueller in December, as reported by the Failing New York Times, I would have fired him. Just more Fake News from a biased newspaper!
You can watch Stahl's entire conversation with Woodruff here:
View this video on YouTube
CLARIFICATION
This post originally said Trump made the comments to Stahl in November 2016, after the election. CBS News revised its story to clarify that the comments were made in July 2016, during an informal meeting.