Washington Post

Trump attacks Washington Post over Syria story

Trump in June made similar accusations against the Washington Post and Bezos. Bezos, not Amazon, owns the Washington Post.

By POLITICO STAFF

President Donald Trump on Monday night slammed the Washington Post and its owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, saying that the newspaper fabricated facts and questioned whether it’s being used as a “lobbyist for Amazon and taxes.”

“The Amazon Washington Post fabricated the facts on my ending massive, dangerous, and wasteful payments to Syrian rebels fighting Assad,” the president tweeted. He appeared to be referencing a story published in the Post on July 19 that reported Trump decided to end an Obama-era covert CIA program to arm and train Syrian rebels.

The president followed that tweet a series of attacks against the publication and Bezos, writing, “So many stories about me in the @washingtonpost are Fake News. They are as bad as ratings challenged @CNN. Lobbyist for Amazon and taxes?” and “Is Fake News Washington Post being used as a lobbyist weapon against Congress to keep Politicians from looking into Amazon no-tax monopoly?”

Trump in June made similar accusations against the Washington Post and Bezos. Bezos, not Amazon, owns the Washington Post.

The Post declined to comment, but Post reporter Adam Entous, who co-authored the Syria story, tweeted Monday night: “Not sure I understand @realDonaldTrump's critique. Our story was about his decision to end support to Syrian rebels fight Assad.”