[UK Independent] Donald Trump's attacks on broadcaster CNN are an "an outrageous assault" on freedom of speech, according to former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Michael Hayden. "If this is who we are or who we are becoming, I have wasted 40 years of my life," the former spy chief, who now works as a national security analyst for the broadcaster, said in a Twitter post.
General Hayden, who is also a former director of the National Surveillance Agency (NSA), added: "Until now it was not possible for me to conceive of an American President capable of such an outrageous assault on truth, a free press or the first amendment."
Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised CNN and has accused it of spreading "fake news", a claim the network has denied.
On the other hand, the US leader regularly praised Fox News and has appeared on the channel a number of times.
"FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the US, CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly," the US President said in a twitter post over the weekend.