Donald Trump speaks at a rally on May 25 in Anaheim, California. | Getty National Press Club president blasts Trump

National Press Club President Thomas Burr blasted Donald Trump, ripping into the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for comments he made during a combative news conference on Tuesday.

“Donald Trump misunderstands — or, more likely, simply opposes — the role a free press plays in a democratic society,” Burr said in response to Trump's remark that journalists should be “ashamed of themselves” for digging into his fundraising efforts on behalf of veterans groups.


“Reporters are supposed to hold public figures accountable. Any American political candidate who attacks the press for doing its job is campaigning in the wrong country. In the United States, under our Constitution, a free press is a check on politicians of all parties,” Burr said.

Trump has repeatedly called reporters "dishonest people" and referred to one journalist as a “sleaze” while speaking to reporters at Trump Tower earlier in the day.

The Manhattan billionaire raised alarms in February for warning that if he were elected president, he would work to “open up” libel laws to make it easier for public officials to sue media outlets. His campaign has repeatedly denied credentials to news outlets, including POLITICO, whose coverage it deems too critical.

Later on Tuesday, Trump bashed his likely general-election opponent, Hillary Clinton, for not taking more questions from the media.

“I am getting great credit for my press conference today. Crooked Hillary should be admonished for not having a press conference in 179 days,” he tweeted.

The White House Correspondents' Association released a statement emphasizing the importance of press access during the presidential election:

“The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press. We don’t know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year.”