Late Wednesday night, Donald Trump took to Truth Social, angrily attacking journalists for reporting on a hot mic moment in which he was heard speaking to Chief Justice John Roberts following his speech to Congress on Tuesday night.
Multiple news outlets picked up on the exchange, which was caught on the hot mic. In the clip, Trump was heard saying, “Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget it,” as he patted Roberts on the arm.
This sparked speculation that Trump was thanking Roberts for the conservative-majority decision that granted him broad immunity from most criminal charges, both past and future.
Trump quickly fired back on Truth Social, calling the focus on the exchange unnecessary and attacking the journalists who reported on it. He referred to them as “sleazebags.”
He wrote, “The Fake ‘Play the Ref’ News, in order to create a divide between me and our great U.S. Supreme Court, heard me say last night, loudly and openly as I was walking past the Justices on the way to the podium, ‘thank you,’ to Chief Justice John Roberts.”
Trump continued, “Like most people, I don’t watch Fake News CNN or MSDNC, but I understand they are going ‘crazy’ asking what is it that I was thanking Justice Roberts for? They never called my office to ask, of course, but if they had I would have told these sleazebag ‘journalists’ that I thanked him for SWEARING ME IN ON INAUGURATION DAY, AND DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB IN SO DOING!”
The president wrapped up with, “The Fake News never quits!”
