[Camerota:] "Time" magazine accuses President Trump of, quote, "total b.s." after President Trump claims that "Time" was considering choosing him as person of the year. "Time" says there is, quote, "not a speck of truth to it." CNN's Brian Stelter is here to separate facts from fiction. Hi, Brian.
[Brian Stelter, Cnn Senior Media Correspondent:] I'll try.
[Camerota:] OK. So, do we know if "Time" called and floated the idea that he would be person of the year?
[Stelter:] The magazine won't officially say, but it certainly makes sense that those phone calls would go out at this time of the year. Trump has been a contender in the last two years. Of course, last year he was the person of the year. So, it would make sense the magazine would ask for an interview. Maybe try to win an opportunity for a photo shoot. I doubt there was an explicit quid pro quo the way Trump is implying, but certainly, they were to smoosh him, trying to get an interview, and what's interesting about this I think is
[Camerota:] Maybe.
[Stelter:] we are not seeing the president give interviews to magazines like "Time" or outlets like
[Cnn. Camerota:] I mean, maybe if they were really smooshing him because that what he is saying, but they are saying there is not a speck of truth to it.
[Stelter:] Right. And they don't want to talk about it until December 6th when they announce person of the year. Now, I wonder will Trump still be the person of the year or will it go to some other category, foreign leader or perhaps will there be an acknowledgment of this tipping point we are seeing in the country, recognition of women who have spoken out against sexual harassment.
[Camerota:] That would be interesting.
[Stelter:] That's what I would do with the cover of "Time" magazine, but we're not the editors.
[Camerota:] Here's another interesting thing, it seems very important to President Trump to be on the cover of "Time" magazine because as we know, he created fake covers of himself as person of the year before he was ever named, and hangs them here it is. This was the fake cover that he hangs in his golf clubs.
[Stelter:] It might be real until you take a close look at it, and then you realize the fonts are not quite right. [Inaudible] other piece with President Trump doubting the "Access Hollywood" tape, retweeting "The Conspiratorial" website. All of it is somewhat related. You know, that he does buy into fake information or conspiracy theories when it is convenient for him to do so.
[Camerota:] So, what you are talking about in terms of retweeting this purveyor of fake news and conspiracy theories, he just doesn't check this stuff. First of all, he likes these websites that have fake news. He somehow gets his information there and then he doesn't do any quality control of his retweets.
[Stelter:] This is a conspiracy theory president. This time last year as president-elect, he talked about the millions of alleged illegal votes that don't actually exist and that continues now that he is in office. This website [inaudible] promoted over the weekend, he said this is what the media should be reporting. The website talks about satanic rituals, falsified terrorism, deep stake conspiracy theories, et cetera, et cetera.
[Camerota:] That's what he would like to see the press really dwell on and talk about.
[Stelter:] I guess, he didn't read that far down the website. He liked that list of accomplishments and wanted to leave it there. But I think a presidential figure, whether in the White House or any other foreign capital. What that person will be doing is promoting [inaudible] literacy and encouraging an informed citizenry, but what we get from President Trump sometimes is that opposite, that the desire to just promote whatever makes him look good.
[Camerota:] He was going after CNN again. Here is what he tweeted, "Fox News is much more important in the United States than CNN. But outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of fake news and they represent our nation to the world very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them."
[Stelter:] Interesting to see CNN's response to that, by the way. Within minutes the network said, "It is not our job to promote the U.S. to the world. It is your job. Our job is to report the news." And I was struck by this, Alisyn, CNN's response actually got more than twice as many shares and faves and retweets as the president's message.
[Camerota:] That's really telling, Brian. I'm glad that you point that out because so many people obviously around the world do rely on CNN. I'm sure you had the same experience I have had, people coming up and thanking us for still bringing the facts, for still being the press, still being there. It is nice to know that people are spreading that word.
[Stelter:] And that is not a partisan position.
[Camerota:] Brian, thank you. Great to talk to you Chris.
[Cuomo:] All right. So, there is a legal battle brewing over who can lead the country's top consumer watchdog. There's an Obama-era official now suing President Trump. Who has the legal upper hand? Answers ahead.