Trump stays on Twitter offensive
Prez calls out ‘fake news’ for ignoring his successes
President Trump, under fire for a mock video showing him body slamming a man with a CNN logo on his face, stayed on the attack yesterday, slamming the “Fake News Media” for failing to cover what he considers his administration’s top achievements.
“At some point the Fake News will be forced to discuss our great jobs numbers, strong economy, success with ISIS, the border & so much else!” Trump tweeted.
And last night he took another swing after the stock market started the second half of the year on a high note.
“Dow hit a new intraday alltime high!” tweeted Trump, referring to the Dow Jones industrial average notching a new record during the day and closing 130 points higher than Friday. “I wonder whether or not the Fake News Media will so report?”
Trump drew the ire of CNN after tweeting a WWE video where he’s seen on the side of a wrestling ring, taking down a man in a suit whose face is replaced with the cable network’s logo.
The embattled “most trusted name in news” had to retract an anonymous single-sourced story last week alleging Congress was investigating a Russian investment fund with ties to Trump officials. Three CNN journalists were forced to resign, and Trump berated the network on Twitter.
In a statement, CNN contended that the video proves Trump “encourages violence against reporters.” Even though its news division is supposed to cover Trump objectively, the network appeared to take a public position on Trump’s White House performance in its statement: “We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.”
Trump hasn’t been getting much backup from his Republican colleagues on his war with the media, including his takedown of MSNBC anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
GOP Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska Sunday on CNN accused Trump of “trying to weaponize distrust.”
“We have a risk of getting to a place where we don’t have shared public facts,” Sasse said. “It’s not helpful to call the press the enemy of the American people.”
Distrust seems to be permeating American institutions under the Trump White House. A new Marist College/NPR poll released yesterday showed 61 percent of Americans don’t trust the Trump administration.
But there are also warning signs for other politicians, journalists and even pollsters. Some 68 percent distrust Congress, and just 30 percent trust the media. Ironically, only 35 percent believe public opinion polls are on the level.
Meanwhile, Trump also pledged to help Charlie Gard, a terminally ill British infant whose rare genetic condition requires machines to help him breathe.
Gard’s parents want to bring him to the U.S. to undergo an experimental treatment, but the European Court of Human Rights sided with the hospital that Gard can be taken off life support. Trump joined Pope Francis, who also wants Gard to be allowed treatments in America.
Also yesterday, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Trump that “some negative factors” are hurting the relationship between the two superpowers. That dig came amid fallout over the U.S. sale of arms to China’s rival, Taiwan.
Beijing has also been upset about U.S. sanctions against a Chinese bank over its dealings with North Korea, as well as an American destroyer that sailed within the limits of islands the Chinese claim in the South China Sea.