President Donald Trump criticized CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond on Sunday who appeared upset that the president played video clips of praise for the federal government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

“What I’m doing is standing up for the men and women that have done an incredible job,” Trump said.

He continued:

Those people have been just absolutely excoriated by some of the fake news, like you. You’re CNN, you’re fake news. And let me just tell you, they were excoriated by people like you that don’t know any better because you don’t have the brains you were born with.

The president said he was used to getting unfair press but was increasingly disturbed by reports about the federal government’s handling of the crisis

“It’s not about me, nothing’s about me. You’re never going to treat me fairly, many of you, and I understand that,” he said.

Diamond also asked if President Trump was “duped” by President Xi Jinping.

“You know who was duped? You and the Obama administration was duped for years,” Trump replied.

Trump also defended the timing of his decision to ban travel from China.

“You people are so pathetic at CNN … That’s why your ratings are so bad: because you’re pathetic. Your ratings are terrible; you got to get back to real news,” he concluded.

White House