Trump bristles over crowd counts

President hit sback over low numbers claim at swearing-in ceremony

On his first full day in office, President Donald Trump on Saturday berated the media over its coverage of his inauguration, and turned a bridge-building first visit to CIA headquarters into an airing of grievances about "dishonest" journalists.

Standing in front of a memorial for fallen CIA agents, Trump assured intelligence officials, "I am so behind you." He made no mention of his repeated criticism of the intelligence agencies following the election, including his public challenges of their high-confidence assessment that Russia meddled in the White House race to help him win.

"There is nobody that feels stronger about the intelligence community and CIA than Donald Trump," he said, blaming any suggestion of a "feud" on the media.

Trump's decision to travel to CIA headquarters so quickly after taking office was seen as an attempt at a fresh start with the intelligence agencies he will now rely on for guidance as he makes weighty national security decisions. Following his private meeting with top CIA leaders, Trump said the United States had been "restrained" in its efforts to combat terrorism, calling the threat "a level of evil we haven't seen."

But in unscripted remarks, Trump appeared more focused on settling scores with the media.

He defensively touted the crowd size for his swearing-in ceremony, claiming that the throngs on the National Mall stretched "all the way back to the Washington Monument." Photos and video clearly showed the crowd stopping well short of the landmark.

Trump's visit took place as throngs of women, many of them wearing bright pink, pointy-eared hats, descended on the nation's capital and other cities around the world for marches organized to push back against the new president. Hundreds of protesters lined the motorcade route as Trump sped back to the White House, many screaming and chanting at the president.

During his remarks at the CIA, the president claimed the inaugural crowds topped 1 million people.

Suggestions that weak enthusiasm accompanied his inauguration clearly irked the new president. Shortly after his remarks, he dispatched his press secretary, Sean Spicer, to the White House briefing room to aggressively reinforce the message.

"There's been a lot of talk in the media about holding Donald Trump accountable. And I'm here to tell you that it goes two ways. We're going to hold the press accountable as well," Spicer said in his first on-camera appearance at the White House.

May meeting

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would not be afraid to tell Trump when she finds some-thing he has said unacceptable, as she prepares to meet him in Washington this week.

May made the comments after thousands marched in London to protest Trump's attitude to women, joining demonstrations held across the world. Following last year's vote to leave the European Union, the British government has been keen to deepen ties with the US and other nations outside Europe to show that Brexit will not diminish its standing in the world.

The meeting on Friday will be an opportunity for May to discuss what has long been called the "special relation-ship" between London and Washington, a pillar of British foreign policy.

"When I sit down (with Trump) I think the biggest statement that will be made about the role of women is the fact that I will be there as a female prime minister," she said. "Whenever there is something that I find unacceptable I won't be afraid to say that to Donald Trump."

(China Daily 01/23/2017 page11)