Trump defends stance

PRESIDENT Donald Trump defended his aggressive use of Twitter just hours after firing off his latest volley in his escalating feud with US media.

Following an early morning Twitter tirade at CNN, NBC and a morning show host he taunted as “dumb as a rock,” the President (pictured) then went on the defensive, touting his electoral accomplishments as justification for his increasingly hostile rhetoric.

“The FAKE & FRAUDULENT NEWS MEDIA is working hard to convince Republicans and others I should not use social media – but remember, I won the 2016 election with interviews, speeches and social media,” Mr Trump said on Twitter. “I had to beat #FakeNews, and did. We will continue to WIN!” he posted, before ending the day at a rally in Washington that included a similar anti-media barrage.

In recent days, the US leader has railed against major news organisations as “fake news,” and launched a crude personal attack on Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, who headline the Morning Joe program on the left-leaning MSNBC cable network.

The comments sparked a major backlash, as well as condemnation from within Mr Trump’s own Republican Party.