President Donald Trump recently called out ABC News after a question regarding Alex Preti, who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis. He dismissed reporters’ inquiries and labeled the network as “ABC Fake News.”
This interaction occurred during his visit to a restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa. ABC News senior political correspondent Rachel Scott asked about Preti’s shooting, noting that he was armed when Border Patrol agents killed him on Saturday.
“Mr. President, you’ve spoken extensively about Minnesota. Some officials in your administration have characterized Alex Preti as…” Scott began before Trump interrupted.
“By the way, this is fake news from ABC,” Trump stated on Tuesday.
The president’s remarks drew applause from the attendees. He further criticized Scott, saying, “She hasn’t asked me a real question in years. I think she’s a nice woman, but I don’t really like her.” He added, “I think ABC is the worst.”
Scott’s question came after Trump administration members, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, labeled Preti a “domestic terrorist.” Footage from the incident shows federal agents removing the weapon from Preti’s waistband before the shooting. Families of victims and some congressional leaders condemned this characterization, noting that Preti was a legal gun owner.
After his interaction with Scott, Trump described the Minneapolis incident as a “very unfortunate event,” expressing discontent about Preti’s possession of a gun and two loaded magazines, stating, “That’s very bad.”
This recent clash with ABC isn’t the first time Trump has criticized the network. Earlier, he suggested that the Federal Communications Commission should consider revoking ABC’s broadcast license due to what he deemed biased reporting against him.
In November, Trump said, “The news is so fake that I think ABC should have its license taken away. And it’s so wrong. We have a great commissioner, a great president, who should look into that.”
