Donovan Slack

USA TODAY

President-elect Donald Trump accused CNN of being “fake news” and refused to let the network’s reporter ask him a question at his press conference Wednesday, spurring one of the most unusual and heated exchanges at such an event.

Trump called BuzzFeed a “failing pile of garbage” for publishing unsubstantiated allegations about his purported ties to Russia and then said CNN went “out of their way to build it up.”

CNN reporter Jim Acosta decided to cut in. “Since you’re attacking us can you give us a question?” he called out.

Trump repeatedly refused, saying “You’re organization’s terrible” and “Don’t be rude.”

“You are fake news,” he said, before moving on to another question.

The exchange quickly started making the rounds on social media.

Acosta said afterward that Trump press secretary Sean Spicer told him he would be kicked out if he tried to yell out questions again. But Acosta tweeted that he actually did get his question answered.

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