“Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd Charles (Chuck) David ToddSunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response Strzok: 'I continue to believe that Donald Trump is compromised by the Russians' GOP chair defends Trump messaging on masks: 'To say that he should have known then what we know now isn't really fair' MORE on Thursday slammed President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE’s efforts to “delegitimize” the media as “un-American.”

“This not a laughing matter. I'm sorry, delegitimizing the press is unAmerican,” Todd tweeted.

This not a laughing matter. I'm sorry, delegitimizing the press is unAmerican — Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) February 16, 2017

The tweet came during a White House news conference that saw Trump attack media reports about ties between campaign aides and the Kremlin, calling the revelations “false” and “fake.”

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The news conference was defined by a series of confrontations between Trump and reporters from various media outlets, including CNN and the BBC. When a reporter asked Trump about anti-Semitic sentiment in the country, Trump told the reporter to sit down.

The president frequently lashed out against questions about his relationship with Russia, and the recent resignation of embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn, who stepped down from the post amid revelations that he discussed U.S. sanctions with Russia's ambassador.

Trump tried to steer media attention away from Russia, arguing that the real story was the stream of leaks coming out of the U.S. intelligence community and government agencies.

“The leaks are absolutely real,” Trump said. “The news is because so much of the news is fake.”

Trump has routinely disparaged the press since he was a presidential candidate, often using the term “fake news” to describe media coverage that he sees as unfavorable. The president has also echoed chief strategist Stephen Bannon’s claims that the press is “the opposition party.”