Fox News' Shepard Smith Goes Off on President Trump: 'We Are Not Fools'

Following President Donald Trump‘s press conference on Thursday, in which he referred to reports of his campaign’s contact with Russia as — you guessed it — “fake news,” Shepard Smith delivered a scathing response.

RELATED The Good Fight Star Christine Baranski: Acting ‘Shocked’ by Trump’s Presidential Win Was Easy

The Fox News anchor — one of the few voices at the conservative network willing to take Trump to task — began by defending rival CNN reporter Jim Acosta, whose attempts to ask Trump about the recent White House leaks turned into 10 minutes of the president attacking him, as well as the entire news organization.

“He’s an accomplished reporter — a guy I’ve never met, but a good reporter,” Smith said of Acosta. “[Trump was] treating him like … I’m not even going to use the word. I’m not going to give Twitter the love it needs. It’s crazy what we’re watching everyday, it’s absolutely crazy. He keeps repeating ridiculous throwaway lines that are not true at all and sort of avoiding this issue of Russia, as if we’re some kind of fools for asking the question.”

VIDEOS Alec Baldwin Hosts SNL: Trump Visits People’s Court, Bey’s Babies

He continued: “Really? Your opposition was hacked, and the Russians were responsible for it, and your people were on the phone with Russia on the same day it was happening, and we’re fools for asking the questions? No, sir, we are not fools for asking this question, and we demand to know the answer to this question. You owe this to the American people.”

Smith concluded, “We have a right to know, we absolutely do, and that you call us ‘fake news’ and put us down like children for asking this question is inconsequential. The people deserve that answer.”

Watch Smith’s passionate remarks below, and then drop a comment with your own.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

Related stories:

Veterans Group Using SNL Ad Buy to Confront President Trump

Seth Meyers to Fallon: You Didn't Get President Trump Elected, I Did

SNL: Rosie O'Donnell 'Available' to Play Trump Advisor Steve Bannon

Get more from TVLine: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter