Chris Wallace sparred with White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus on Sunday over President Donald Trump’s attacks on the media.
The “Fox News Sunday” host said the president “crosses a line” when he describes the media as “the enemy of the American people,” referencing a tweet Trump sent last week.
“Here’s the problem,” Wallace said. “When the president says that we’re the enemy of the American people, it makes it sound like if you’re going against him, you’re going against the country.”
Priebus defended Trump’s attacks, and continued criticizing the media’s coverage of the new administration.
“Here’s the problem, Chris,” Priebus said. “You get about 10 percent [media] coverage on the fact you had a very successful meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, the prime minister of the UK, the prime minister of Canada ... but as soon as it was over, the next 20 hours is all about Russian spies, how no one gets along, how nothing’s happening. Give me a break.”
“But you don’t get to tell us what to do, Reince,” Wallace shot back. “You don’t get to tell us what to do any more than Barack Obama did. Barack Obama whined about Fox News all the time. But I gotta say, he never said that we were an enemy of the people.”
Wallace isn’t the only Fox News anchor to call out Trump for his treatment of the press. Last week, Shep Smith harshly criticized the president for undermining the media and failing to answer reporters’ questions during a lengthy press conference.
“Your opposition was hacked and the Russians were responsible for it, and your people were on the phone with Russia on the same day it’s happening, and we’re fools for asking the questions?” Smith said. “No, sir, we’re not fools for asking the questions, and we demand to know the answer to this question. You owe this to the American people.”
