A White House reporter Tuesday lashed out at spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders for "inflaming" tensions and trying to weaken the credibility of the press.
The fiery tongue-lashing took place at the beginning of a press briefing while Sanders was answering a question about whether President Donald Trump has accepted the apology from CNN for a story — later retracted — that alleged ties between a Trump aide and a Russian investment fund.
"All we are saying is I think we should take a really good look at what we are focused on, what we are covering and making sure it's accurate and honest," Sanders said.
"If we make the slightest mistake, the slightest word is off, it's an absolute tirade from a lot of people in this room. But news outlets get to go on day after day and cite unnamed sources, use stories without sources."
Brian Karem with The Sentinel Newspapers in Maryland cut her off.
"You are inflaming everyone right here right now with those words," he said as the room went quiet.
"This administration has done that as well ... Any one of us are replaceable, if we don't get it right, the audience has the opportunity to turn the channel or not read us. You have been elected to serve for four years at least, there is no option other than that."
"We are here to ask you questions, you are here to provide answers," he continued. "And what you just did is inflammatory to people all over the country who look at it and say, 'See, once again, the president is right and everybody else is just fake media.' Everybody in this room is only trying to do their job."
Sanders dismissed the critique.
"I disagree completely," she declared. "First of all, if anything has been inflamed, it's the dishonesty that often takes place by the news media. I think it is outrageous for you to accuse me of inflaming a story when I was simply trying to respond to his question."
She then moved to take other questions.
The clash occurred at the first on-camera press briefing for the White House in a week, The Hill reported; the outlet also posted the video of the clash.
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