Trump reportedly got confused watching Fox News and thought North Korea was launching nukes

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

President Trump has such faith in Fox News that he once thought they got a huge scoop: news of a North Korean missile headed our way.

In an interview with The Washington Post published Friday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that Trump thought nuclear devastation was on its way shortly after he was elected. While discussing national security with the president at the White House, Graham said he was concerned about how to handle America's relationship with North Korea. Just then, footage of a missile launch came on the TV nearby.

Before Trump declared himself "in love" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, he had less trust in the isolated nation's commitment to denuclearization. Despite the fact that Trump would be one of the very first people to know about a hypothetical nuclear attack, he thought that Fox News was reporting an incoming missile. In reality, it was an old clip the channel was using for a regular news segment.

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"That's old footage, old footage!" Graham recalls telling Trump. The senator said he changed his mind about the president and became his ally for just this reason — to make sure Trump doesn't wrongly believe he needs to rush to his nuclear button. Read more at The Washington Post.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.