President Donald Trump went on a tear on his Truth Social platform late Wednesday against what he called the “Fake ‘Play the Ref’ News” over its coverage of him thanking Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts following his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
Trump claimed the media was trying to “create a divide between me and our great U.S. Supreme Court” over its interpretation that Trump — who shook Roberts’ hand, told him, “Thank you again, I won’t forget it,” and then slapped his back — was expressing his gratitude for the court’s July 2024 decision, authored by Roberts, that essentially gave presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts.
The decision caused delays to the criminal cases against Trump over his alleged illegal attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to now-former President Joe Biden.
It ultimately allowed Trump to continue running for and win the 2024 election against Democratic rival Kamala Harris and, once safely back in the White House, to avoid a potential prosecution.
“Like most people, I don’t watch Fake News CNN or MSDNC, but I understand they are going ‘crazy’ asking what is it that I was thanking Justice Roberts for?” Trump wrote.
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“They never called my office to ask, of course, but if they had I would have told these sleazebag ‘journalists’ that I thanked him for SWEARING ME IN ON INAUGURATION DAY, AND DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB IN SO DOING! The Fake News never quits!” he added.