Trump is not lazy, Newsweek cover is 'outrageous': Lord Conrad Black

Former media mogul Lord Conrad Black said the Newsweek article calling President Donald Trump a “Lazy Boy” is simply wrong.

“Claiming the president is lazy is just outrageous. He’s the hardest working president in our time,” said Black.

He agrees with Trump’s remarks made in West Virginia Thursday night that if journalists are going to look into his alleged collusion with Russia, they need to look into what he believes could be far more serious crimes committed by the Clinton Foundation.

“I’m not saying anyone’s guilty, everyone deserves the presumption of innocence,” Black said.

The former newspaper publisher and author believes that in the current political climate it’s hard to come by a civil debate, and that opposing parties are rushing to extremes.

“They’re all addicted to the criminalization of policy differences…by all means let’s have vigorous fierce democratic contestation over elections and public policy, but every time you have a disagreement, sending your opponent to prison is not the answer of how to run the country,” he said.

Black is hopeful that with the new White House Chief of staff hire, General John Kelly, the White House will have clearer messaging and that media attention will be refocused on policy.

“I think he’s a strong Marine Corps general and after one week, which is not long, there’s been no embarrassing tweets, everyone seems to be on message, and I think the president is absolutely right to call this whole collusion thing what it is. It’s just a smear job commissioned by [former FBI Director] Comey after he was fired,” said Black.