Donald Trump blasts reports of tension with acting A.G. Matthew Whitaker

President Trump on Monday denied reports that he “lashed out” at acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker.

“I never ’lashed out’ at the Acting Attorney General of the U.S., a man for whom I have great respect. This is a made up story, one of many, by the Fake News Media!,” Mr. Trump tweeted.

I never “lashed out” at the Acting Attorney General of the U.S., a man for whom I have great respect. This is a made up story, one of many, by the Fake News Media!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018

The president’s tweet was a response to a CNN report Friday that Mr. Trump voiced his anger toward the attorney general over the guilty plea and sentencing of Michael Cohen, Mr. Trump’s former personal attorney.

CNN said the president “lashed out” at Mr. Whitaker twice in the past few weeks, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

The first instance occurred Nov 29, when Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower project in Russia, CNN said.

A week later, Mr. Trump again reportedly blasted Mr. Whitaker after New York prosecutors implicated the president in a campaign finance violation related to an attempt to the buy the silence of two women who alleged affairs with Mr. Trump before he became president. The president has denied the affairs.

Mr. Trump allegedly pressed Mr. Whitaker on why more wasn’t being done to control the New York prosecutors, accusing them of going rogue, CNN reported.

Mr. Whitaker was named last month as a replacement for former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was eventually ousted following his recusal from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Mr. Trump has nominated former Attorney General William Barr to become the next permanent head of the Justice Department.