US president Donald Trump on Monday brushed aside reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln after more than 250 days at sea, calling the criticism “fake news”. He later sharply rebuked a CNN reporter during a tense Oval Office exchange.
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Trump defended the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of”, saying a retired admiral he spoke to over the weekend had reassured him about conditions aboard the vessel. The remarks came during an Oval Office media interaction, when the reporter attempted to ask Trump a follow-up question regarding North Korea and whether Kim Jong Un had requested a reduction in joint US–South Korea military exercises. Trump told CNN reporter Kristen Holmes to “be quiet” and called her a “fake reporter” after she questioned him.
“The Lincoln has been out there for a period of time – a good period of time – but over the years, we’ve had them out there much longer,” Trump said, describing his conversation with the veteran.
The US president, however, did not name the admiral or identify the “other people” he said had corroborated the account.
