Trump retweets accused Fox News sexual harasser Bill O'Reilly who bashes 'corrupt press' and claims president is doing 'damage' to the NBC News brand

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President Donald Trump twice retweeted former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who echoed his own recent attacks on NBC and who stepped down from his prominent post under a flurry of allegations of sexual harassment.

Trump has been waging war on NBC this week after it first reported that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Trump a 'moron,' then reported that Trump sought a ten-fold increase in nuclear weapons during a Pentagon meeting this summer. 

Trump also questioned whether NBC should have its broadcast license pulled. 

'A free press is vital to protecting all Americans. A corrupt press damages the Republic,' O'Reilly wrote in one tweet that Trump sent out to his millions of followers.

President Donald Trump twice retweeted former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on Friday

In the other tweet, O'Reilly lauded Trump – even while he acknowledged there is no practical way for the administration yank the networks license. Individual affiliates apply for licenses through the Federal Communications Commission.  

'The President will not be able to impact licenses, but he is doing major damage to the @NBC brand,' O'Reilly wrote.

The president appended his own comment to his longtime acquaintance. 'Sadly, they and others are Fake News, and the public is just beginning to figure it out!' Trump wrote. 

Trump took his repeated attacks on 'fake news' to a new level Wednesday when he appeared to suggest NBC should face retribution for its reporting on him – which includes a story charging that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called him a 'moron.'

'With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!' Trump wrote on Wednesday.     

President Trump retweeted a pair of tweets by fired Fox host Bill O'Reilly

President Trump retweeted a pair of tweets by fired Fox host Bill O'Reilly

The president kept up his attacks in the Oval Office during an event with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday.

'And it's frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write, and people should look into it,' Trump said.  

'I know the capability that we have, believe me, and it is awesome. It is massive. And so when they make up stories like that, that's just made up. And the generals will tell you that,' the president said. 

The threat to go after the network for the content of its broadcast drew protests from First Amendment advocates.  

Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse blasted Trump on Wednesday night with a statement.

'Mr. President: Words spoken by the President of the United States matter. Are you tonight recanting of the oath you took on January 20th to preserve, protect, and defend the First Amendment?' Sasse said in a statement that he sent out on Twitter Wednesday night.   

Fox News fired O'Reilly in April after the New York Times reported that the network paid $13 million in settlements to women who made accusations against him. That resignation followed the resignation of former Fox chair and Trump confidante Roger Ailes, who also faced accusations of harassment. 

O'Reilly denied the allegations, telling NBC's 'Today' show it was a 'hit job.' 

Trump's retweets of O'Reilly come at a time when sexual harassment is dominating the news with the sudden firing of Harvey Weinstein amid horrific stories from dozens of actresses. 

NBC has been criticized for passing on a bombshell story uncovering some of the alleged Weinstein conduct.