Oval Office questioning found the president calling out the “Fake News” with a very specific dig at a previously sued network’s correspondent for bringing up his IRS lawsuit.
(Video Credit: CNN)
Friday, President Donald Trump hosted IndyCar officials at the White House as America’s 250th birthday celebration added another event dubbed the Freedom 250 Grand Prix to be held in Washington, D.C. Of course, while CNN’s coverage of the executive order signing included focus on the recent release of more documents regarding late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a “very loud” ABC News reporter was called out over asking about a new IRS lawsuit.
Beginning the exchange, ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers was the last member of the press still speaking after another free-for-all attempt to pick the president’s brain as she asked, “Mr. President, why are you suing your own administration and the IRS? Why are you suing?”
Rather than addressing the question, the chief executive responded, “Who are you with?” and, upon learning Travers was with ABC News, opined, “You’re a loud person! Very loud! Let somebody else have a chance.”
“Can you answer the question? Why are you suing IRS?” she reiterated as the president added, “ABC Fake — ABC Fake News!”
Appearing dismissive of the still speaking Travers, Trump called on another reporter, “Go ahead. I didn’t call on you. Go ahead, please, go ahead. Go ahead,” only to lob out as a question was asked about negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, “ABC, by the way, is truly one of the worst.”
As had been reported, ABC News had settled a defamation lawsuit in December 2024 for $15 million after the president had taken the network to court over commentator George Stephanopoulos repeatedly claiming Trump was “liable for rape.”
The president had likewise had his suit with parent company Paramount settled for $16 million after alleging CBS News had deceptively edited a pre-election “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
In his latest lawsuit seeking $10 billion in damages, Trump claimed the IRS and Treasury Department had unlawfully allowed an IRS contractor to leak the tax returns of his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as his own and the Trump Organization, allegedly causing “reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment,” and more.
Meanwhile, as the commander-in-chief lauded his success in ending eight other wars during the first year of his second administration, CNN saw fit to turn away from the coverage as anchor Dana Bash sounded off, “I just want to say that what Karen Travers of ABC News was trying to ask the president was about the fact that he is suing the IRS and the Treasury Department, so the American taxpayer, for $10 billion because part of his tax return came out in the public.”
“So that’s what he didn’t want to answer,” she asserted, glossing over the fact that the information had not merely come out in the public, but that it had been leaked by IRS contractor Charlie Littlejohn, who went on to be sentenced to five years in prison.
A Trump spokesperson had said, “The IRS wrongly allowed a rogue, politically-motivated employee to leak private and confidential information about President Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization to the New York Times, ProPublica and other left-wing news outlets, which was then illegally released to millions of people.”
As for the public rebuke, the president earned cheers on social media for calling out the “Fake News.”
Finally! Open rebuke!
— cookiedough (@CenaMyra) January 31, 2026
“QUIET PIGGY” 🐖 pic.twitter.com/NFDuctApFk
— I❤️MyCountry🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@allen753523) January 30, 2026
That’s going to leave a mark😂 pic.twitter.com/5jlOe92dk2
— LandOfHoy (@eileen_hoy69517) January 30, 2026
— Commonsensegal (@ConnieArndt23) January 30, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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