Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel laugh seriously at Trump calling the 'moron' story 'fake news'

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel laugh at Trump's "Fake News"
(Image credit: Screenshots/YouTube/The Late Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live)

President Trump reportedly fumed for two hours when he read NBC News' report Wednesday morning that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had called him a "moron," then got even angrier when Tillerson did not directly deny having said that. "He vehemently would rather not answer that question," Stephen Colbert said on Thursday's Late Show. Still, Tillerson did categorically deny ever considering resigning, a claim Trump picked up on in a Thursday morning tweet in which he criticized NBC News for not verifying their "Fake News" with him first. After thinking of some stories Trump might not be the best source for verification on — think Barack Obama's birth certificate — Colbert said that Tillerson's job appears to be safe, thanks to a career "suicide pact" he reportedly made with Defense Secretary James Mattis and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.