CNN's Chris Cuomo destroys conservative ex-prosecutor for implying Trump is right to attack the press for covering Russia

On Wednesday, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo clashed with Robert Ray, the former independent counsel who took over from Ken Starr, over President Donald Trump's reaction to the Russia investigation — a conversation which grew heated when Ray suggested that Trump's attacks on the press were justified.

"Chris, it's human," said Ray.

"Everything is fake unless he likes it," said Cuomo sarcastically.

"Go back to George W. Bush," said Ray. "You don't think he suffered under the reality of the fact that the Democrats were essentially saying that it was a stolen election by the Supreme Court of the United States?"

"But he didn't call all media liars and fakes and say the FBI was subverted by a deep state," said Cuomo.

"That makes it difficult to govern," said Ray. "And this president understands that attacks on him, they get to the question of undermining the legitimacy of his election, where it was an electoral college victory but not a popular vote victory. That's a political reality."

"As a guy who holds himself out as an integrity guy, a guy who gets invited on the show because you're an integrity guy, you're not going to really defend lying and calling everything that the media does fake and everything the Democrats do fake and subversive, just because you feel you're under siege?"

"No, agreed," said Ray, backtracking somewhat.

"Because that's the problem with people on the right. You know what I mean? Everything he says is okay."

"I am not prepared to say everything under the sun is a hoax," admitted Ray. "I've tried to call them as I have seen them to be fair. I have said things with regard to the conduct of the investigation where I didn't think things were fair."

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