I've always thought of fake news as rags similar to the Enquirer, it seems to me anything he disagrees with, doesn't like, makes him look less than favorable is fake news, I cannot accept that definition. If I were advising the President, I don't care what the source of the information, if it came out that another nation had a bounty on our troops I would insist on a thorough investigation, and I would be very public about my investigation (not details, just fact) I would assure my troops I had their backs and nobody would have a bounty on them without repercussions. And I would confront the leader of the named country and let them know we are investigating the rumor, and if found to be true they would not like the price they would pay. So I disagree the reporter looked like an idiot.