Trump also brought up the abrupt dismissal of Chris Licht this week as the CEO of CNN.
The former president took credit for CNNs ratings bump from his town hall last month.
Trump said, Everything was beautiful and they got tremendous numbers, and they fired him.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Mr. Licht, sorry about that.
I would like to apologize to Mr. Licht.
One photo showed a tipped over box with photos and newspaper clippings on the floor.
But a closer look shows paper with text blurred out.
This vicious persecution is a travesty of justice, Trump said.
He said, These criminals cannot be rewarded.
They must be defeated.
BBC and C-SPAN carried his remarks live, but other major cable and broadcast networks did not.
Trump is scheduled to appear in Florida federal court on Tuesday.
The president outlined initiatives to combat state laws to restrict care for transgender children and to limit drag shows.
He also said that federal officials are studying whether book bans may violate civil rights laws.
In all of you and this is not hyperbole in all of you what I see is courage.
I mean it sincerely from the bottom of my I see courage.
He did not mention Trump.
