CNN fired back at US President Donald Trump Wednesday, after the president criticized the news company for inaccurate reporting on an explosive story about Donald Trump Jr. meeting with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower.
"Make no mistake, Mr. President, CNN does not lie," CNN Communications posted on its Twitter account Wednesday. "We report the news. And we report when people in power tell lies. CNN stands by our reporting and our reporters. There may be many fools in this story but @carlbernstein is not one of them."
Davis, who later confirmed he was a source for the story (but only after lying and saying he wasn't), walked back his own claims that Cohen knew Trump was aware of the infamous meeting.
"I regret not being much clearer in saying I'm not sure about this story," Davis told NBC News.
However, despite the story being compromised by Davis, CNN decided to stand by it, claiming the report is based on "multiple sources," The Hill notes.
"We stand by our story, and are confident in our reporting of it," a CNN spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Needless to say, this sparked caustic criticism from President Trump.
"Comical to watch @CNN covering for leftist hack @carlbernstein. He & Obama staffer @jimsciutto obviously got story wrong. CNN 'stands by' it anyway, defending literal fake news," Trump commented on the issue on Twitter.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump posted another tweet, also commenting on the "sloppiness" of the CNN reporter.
"CNN is being torn apart from within based on their being caught in a major lie and refusing to admit the mistake. Sloppy @carlbernstein, a man who lives in the past and thinks like a degenerate fool, making up story after story, is being laughed at all over the country!" the president wrote.
"I have spent my life as a journalist bringing the truth to light, through administrations of both parties," Bernstein tweeted. "No taunt will diminish my commitment to that mission, which is the essential role of a free press. [CNN] stands by its story, and I stand by my reporting."
CNN's reluctance to admit its mistake did not escape the notice of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who commented on the issue during her Wednesday appearance on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" program.
"What people will say on text and in emails or to their friends and their family members and certainly what they say on TV is fundamentally different than when you're under oath. I think Lanny Davis discovered that recently as well, as has CNN," she said on the issue.
