Trump Threatens To Sue New York Times For 'Unpatriotic' Reporting, Gets Feisty Response

The president's lawyer also threatened to sue CNN over its coverage of a U.S. intelligence report on the bombing of nuclear sites in Iran.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday got a defiant reply from The New York Times after his lawyer wrote a letter threatening to sue the newspaper in part for “unpatriotic” reporting on the U.S. bombing of Iran.

The Times reported on an early Pentagon analysis saying the strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites would merely delay its nuclear program, undercutting Trump’s claim that the attack was a knockout blow. CNN was the first to report on the leaked contradictory intel and said it had also been threatened with legal action.

The letter from attorney Alejandro Brito, the Times reported, ordered the outlet to “retract and apologize” for its “false,” defamatory” and “unpatriotic” article due to the alleged damage to Trump’s reputation.

Noting that the administration had confirmed the existence of the report, the Gray Lady hit back hard.

“No retraction is needed,” the paper’s lawyer, David McCraw, wrote back. “No apology will be forthcoming. We told the truth to the best of our ability. We will continue to do so.”