After President Trump and Russian President Putin appeared together at press conference during the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, and joked about “fake news” or the media, Florida Congresswoman Val Demings (D) accused President Donald Trump of supporting “violent oppression” against journalist.
Demings based her allegation from a quote that Bloomberg Sr. White House Reporter Jennifer Jacobs tweeted about the encounter the two presidents had at the media availability.
Jacobs tweeted that “Trump also bonded with Putin over a scorn for journalists,” noting that Trump told Putin to “get rid” of his country’s media.
“The President of the United States is our voice overseas. He or she had a responsibility to defend America and our institutions—including a free press—when meeting with a foreign dictator,” noted Demings “And under no circumstances should the president EVER support violent oppression.”
The President of the United States is our voice overseas. He or she had a responsibility to defend America and our institutions—including a free press—when meeting with a foreign dictator.
And under no circumstances should the president EVER support violent oppression. https://t.co/o0D2qtCfA8
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) June 28, 2019
According to Jacobs, this is the exchange between Trump and Putin that prompted Demings to make the claim that Trump supported “violent oppression”:
Trump: Get rid of them. Fake news is a great term, isn't it?
Trump: You don’t have this problem in Russia, but we do.
Putin: (In English) We also have. It’s the same.
Along with most, if not all congressional Democrats, Demings did not find it amusing when Trump apparently smirked and told Putin, "Don't meddle in our elections."
REPORTER: Will you tell Russia not to meddle in the election.
TRUMP: Yes of course I will. (turns to Putin) Don’t meddle in the election. Don’t meddle in the election.
