Jake Tapper replies to Trump’s remarks about the press with the Constitution

CNN anchor Jake Tapper had a simple response to President Donald Trump’s remarks about the media on Wednesday: the Constitution.

What did Trump say?

NBC News reported Wednesday morning that Trump shocked national security officials in a July meeting by reportedly saying that he wanted a tenfold increase in the United States’ nuclear arsenal. NBC cited “three officials who were in the room” during the meeting. The report noted that “no such expansion is planned.”

Trump took to Twitter Wednesday to dispute the report, calling it “pure fiction.”

He then asked if it would be “appropriate” to challenge NBC’s “license.”

The tweet was criticized by journalists — as well as by liberals and conservatives — as an attack on the First Amendment.

During remarks at the White House later Wednesday, Trump again disputed the NBC report, saying “right now we have so many nuclear weapons.” He called the report “fake news.”

He reiterated his remarks about the media, arguing, “And it's frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write, and people should look into it."

President Trump: "It's frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write, and people should look into it." pic.twitter.com/gT9FhI94tJ

— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 11, 2017

How did Tapper respond?

Tapper opened his program, “The Lead,” Wednesday with a response to the controversy.

“President Trump saying today, ‘It's frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write, and people should look into it,’” he began.

“Well, I have looked into it and you might want to start looking into it too, Mr. President,” Tapper said as he held up a pocket Constitution.