Trump Slams 'Dishonest' Media at CIA Headquarters

President Donald Trump ripped the media at his speech at CIA headquarters on Saturday, calling journalists "dishonest" and saying that they were behind false reports about a rift with the intelligence community.

"I have a running war with the media," the president told about 400 CIA employees in Langley, Va. "They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth.

"They sort of made it sound like I had a feud with the intelligence community," he added. "I just want to let you know that the reason you're the number one stop is exactly the opposite."

Trump spoke at the agency on his first full day as president.

He attacked news reports that only 250,000 people turned out for his Friday inauguration — and a false tweet by a Time magazine reporter that the bust of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was replaced with Winston Churchill's in the Oval Office.

"They said we drew 250,000 people," Trump began. "Now, that's not bad — but it's a lie."

He said the number reflected those in an immediate area around the U.S. Capitol created by law enforcement personnel.

"The rest of the 20-block area, all the way back to the Washington monument was packed," Trump said.

"We caught them — and we caught them in a beauty," he continued. "And I think they're going to pay a big price."

In the King flap, Time magazine political reporter Zeke Miller tweeted Friday that the bust — brought in by former President Barack Obama — had been replaced with that of the British Prime Minister.

The Winston Churchill bust is back in the Oval Office

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 21, 2017

However, Miller later posted that he was wrong and apologized:

Correction: The MLK bust is still in the Oval Office. It was obscured by an agent and door.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 21, 2017

Tweeting again: wh aide confirms the MLK bust is still there. I looked for it in the oval 2x & didn't see it. My apologies to my colleagues

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 21, 2017

White House press secretary Sean Spicer accepted Miller's apology:

.@PressSec This is on me, not my colleagues. I've been doing everything I can to fix my error. My apologies.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 21, 2017

A reminder of the media danger of tweet first check facts later https://t.co/dYqwRv1p0f

— Sean Spicer (@PressSec) January 21, 2017

"There's a beautiful statue of Dr. Martin Luther King," Trump said at Langley. "I also happen to like Churchill.

"I think most of us like Churchill. Not from our country, but he had a lot to do with us and was a real ally.

"I would never do that because I have great respect for Dr. Martin Luther King," Trump said about taking away that statue, "but this is how dishonest the media is.

"I love honesty," he later added. "I love honest reporting."

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