The President-elect took to Twitter accusing CNN of reporting “Fake News” about his role on NBC’s The Apprentice.
The Tweets were sent this morning not long after CNN International, simulcast on CNN at the time, reported on Trump’s outside business interests. A guest following Sara Murray‘s report said, “critics are suggesting that that displays, quite frankly, a bit of ignorance about what the job of being president entails. The idea that there will be enough spare time to executive produce a hit network tv show, a reality show, seems a bit naive.”
I have NOTHING to do with The Apprentice except for fact that I conceived it with Mark B & have a big stake in it. Will devote ZERO TIME!
Advertisement— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2016
(The second tweet corrected a misspelling and was resent in the 9 a.m. hour, below)
Reports by @CNN that I will be working on The Apprentice during my Presidency, even part time, are ridiculous & untrue – FAKE NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2016
Trump’s statement this morning also contradicts somewhat what his adviser Kellyanne Conway said on CNN yesterday, defending his role and comparing it to the time President Obama spent golfing. “Were we so concerned about the hours and hours and hours spent on the golf course of the current president? I mean, presidents have a right to do things in their spare time, or their leisure time, whether it’s president Obama or President Donald Trump, the idea that these men are going to be all work and nothing else, all the time, it’s just unrealistic.”
Conway said Trump’s earnings from the NBC show could be donated to charity. “He could do what he’s going to do with his White House salary with the Celebrity Apprentice, which is donate it to charity or decline to take it.”