Donald Trump told Leslie Stahl in 2016 that his motivation for discrediting reporters was to undercut public trust in them.
Posted by All In with Chris Hayes, Checked
- Sources
- 7 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 75%
All In with Chris HayesSep 19, 2026
Journalist Lesley Stahl publicly said Trump told her in 2016 that he attacked the press to discredit reporters so that negative stories about him would not be believed, which matches the claim's core assertion.
The guest relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.
What was said
… I've been a reporter in DC Since President Obama and I've covered multiple presidencies. But again, this is part of a larger pattern for the president. And I in moments like this, I am often reminded of what leslie Stahl, the 60 Minutes reporter, said when she spoke to Trump when he was first running in 2016, and she said that he told her that his motivation behind doing this. To quote Discredit and Demean reporters, So that way, the public doesn't believe us because it undercuts trust in the public. And again, since he came in to the second term, they have pursued that intimidation tactic in full force with not just the Associated Press, also the Pentagon Press Corps. …
All In with Chris Hayes · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Stahl told the Deadline Club audience that Trump said, "I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you."[2][3][4]
Supports. Multiple outlets report the same Stahl account of the 2016 off-camera meeting at Trump Tower, and CPJ repeats the quote in its report on the administration and the media.[5][6][7][8]
Context. Snopes notes that no video or audio of the Trump statement exists and that Stahl's account is the only record, while the Nixon quote in a viral meme is a mash-up and unverified.[1]
Context. Sources differ on the date of the meeting: The Intercept and CBS place it in July 2016 before the Republican convention, while others place it in November 2016 around the post-election interview. The claim says only "in 2016," so both fit.[2][3][6][7]
Sources
8 sources: 1 fact-checker, 2 tier 2, 5 not rated
- 1Did Trump and Nixon Say They Attack Journalists to Destroy Credibility?snopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Lesley Stahl: Trump admitted mission to "discredit" press - CBS Newscbsnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 3Lesley Stahl: Donald Trump Said He Attacks the Media "So When You Write Negative Stories About Me, No One Will Believe You"theintercept.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 4'60 Minutes' Correspondent Lesley Stahl Says Trump Confessed Constant Press Attacks Are Meant to ‘Discredit' Journalistsnbcbayarea.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Trump told Lesley Stahl he bashes press to discredit negative storiescnbc.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Trump Told a Veteran Reporter He Attacks Media to Undermine ...businessinsider.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 7Video: Trump admitted he attacks press to shield ... - Tampa Bay Timestampabay.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 8Trump administration threatens press freedom, CPJ report findsijnet.org · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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