President Donald Trump contradicted two of his cabinet agencies to deny "fake" reports that his administration had agreed to print census forms without a citizenship question.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that the Trump administration had not offered a compelling legal argument to include the question, and the president at first claimed the White House lawyer would seek to delay the census process.
But the Department of Justice and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said this week the administration would go ahead and print forms without the question to meet the constitutionally mandated deadline.
Wednesday morning, the president insisted those on-the-record statements were inaccurate.
"The News Reports about the Department of Commerce dropping its quest to put the Citizenship Question on the Census is incorrect or, to state it differently, FAKE!" Trump tweeted. "We are absolutely moving forward, as we must, because of the importance of the answer to this question."
The president's statements baffled observers.