Story highlights David Gergen: In combative news conference, Trump had good reason for anger over BuzzFeed allegations

Gergen: But Trump needlessly widened rift with intel community, slammed CNN report even though press has right to report news

David Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and has been a White House adviser to four presidents. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is a professor of public service and co-director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. Follow him on Twitter: @david_gergen. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) Once upon a time, America's new presidents enjoyed a honeymoon upon taking office -- think Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan and Obama. But after a wide ranging and often combative press conference Wednesday, it is obvious that the opening weeks of the Donald Trump presidency will be the stormiest of modern times.

Trump had good reason to be angry coming into the press arena. Over the past 24 hours, salacious, damning memos written by a former officer of the British MI 6 have flooded the Internet.

The 35 pages published by BuzzFeed are full of unverified allegations that the Russians have compromising information about Trump and that Trump advisers have been in cahoots with Putin's men. Trump was right to complain bitterly.

JUST WATCHED Trump shuts down CNN reporter Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump shuts down CNN reporter 00:34

But, as he so often does, he started shooting wildly at the wrong targets. Once again, he attacked the intelligence community -- this time for leaking the memos to the press.

How can he say for sure the Intel folks leaked the memos? The memos have been floating all over Washington for days if not weeks. Eight members of Congress got them in recent days, for example.

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