Trump clashes with ABC anchor over migrant wrongly deported to El Salvador: ‘You’re not being very nice.’

Officials later described the mistake as “an administrative error” but insisted that he was a member of the MS-13 gang, the Associated Press reported.

Trump, who believes Abrego García’s knuckle tattoos signify an affiliation with the infamous gang, recently posted to social media an image of himself holding a photograph of what appears to be Abrego García‘s hand, showing a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull tattooed on his fingers.

The photo appeared to be labeled with the letters “M” and “S” and numerals “1″ and “3″ appearing on each knuckle above the tattooed symbols, as well as words describing each symbol below it.

At one point in the ABC interview, Trump referred to that photograph as he doubled down on the allegations that Abrego García was involved with MS-13.

“When we have criminals, murderers, criminals in this country, we have to get them out,” Trump said. “And we’re doing it.”

Abrego García “said he wasn’t a member of a gang,” Trump said. “And then they looked, and on his knuckles, he had MS-13.”

“There’s a dispute over that,” Moran replied.

“Well, wait a minute,” Trump said. “Wait a minute. He had MS-13, on his knuckles tattooed,” Trump said.

Moran disagreed but acknowledged that the marijuana, smiley face, and cross and skull symbols could be interpreted differently.

“He had some tattoos that are interpreted that way,” Moran said. “But let’s move on.”

But Trump refused and stuck to the topic of the tattoos.

“Wait a minute. Hey, Terry. Terry. Terry. Don’t do that — M-S-1-3 — It says M-S-one-three,” Trump said.

Moran disagreed, saying that the letters and numbers were not actual tattoos, but labels added to the photograph after the picture was taken. (Fact-checkers at PolitiFact drew the same conclusion, and said the photo ’appears to have been altered‘ to include the lettering MS-13 above the symbols.)

“That was Photoshopped,” Moran said.

“That was Photoshop?” Trump said. “Terry, you can’t do that. They’re giving you the big break of a lifetime. You know, you’re doing the interview. I picked you because, frankly, I never heard of you, but that’s OK. But I picked you, Terry. But you’re not being very nice. He had MS-13 tattooed ... ”

“Alright. Alright,” Moran said. “We’ll agree to disagree. I want to move on.”

“Terry. Terry,” Trump said. “Do you want me to show the picture?”

Moran told Trump he had already seen the photo.

“I saw the picture,” Moran said. “We’ll agree to disagree.”

“Oh, and you think it was Photoshop,” said Trump. “Go look at his hand. He had MS-13...”

“Fair enough, he did have tattoos that can be interpreted that way,” Moran said. “I’m not an expert on them.”

Moran tried to change the subject, but Trump wasn’t having it.

“I want to turn to Ukraine, sir,” Moran said.

“No, no. Terry,” Trump said.

“Terry, no, no. No, no. He had ‘MS’ as clear as you can be. Not ‘interpreted.’ This is why people no longer believe the news, because it’s fake news,” Trump said.

“When he was photographed in El Salvador, they aren’t there,” Moran said. “But let’s just go on...”

“Oh, they weren’t there?” Trump said.

“Take a look at the photograph,” Moran said.

“But they’re there now, right?” Trump said. “But they’re there now?”

“They’re in your picture,” Moran said.

“Terry ... He’s got MS-13 on his knuckles,” said Trump. “OK?”

“We’ll take a look at it,” Moran said.

“It’s ... it’s ... you do such a disservice,” Trump said.

“We’ll take a look. We’ll take a look at that, sir,” Moran said.

“Why don’t you just say, ‘Yes, he does,’ and, you know, go on to something else?” Trump asked.

“It’s contested,” Moran said.

Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.