Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Donald Trump busily kept up with his presidential duties, which included starting a fight with the bought-with-Koch-brothers-money Time magazine and suggesting his infamous Access Hollywood tape was faked. Unsurprisingly, however, the president wasn’t satisfied with targeting Time Inc. and NBC alone, so he decided to revisit his ongoing “fake news” feud with CNN on Saturday. He specifically attacked CNN International, calling it “a major source of (Fake) news” and decrying its global influence on the “outside world.” This line of attack continued on Monday with a new suggestion.
In a tweet, Trump proposed a “contest” to determine “which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest.” The winner, he concluded, will “receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!”
We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2017
Considering the Fox News Channel’s frequently pro-Trump leanings in its coverage (or lack thereof), that this suppose “contest” would exclude the outlet comes as no surprise. Neither is the fact that the president is still harping on about CNN following the response to Saturday’s CNN International tweet. “It’s not CNN’s job to represent the U.S to the world. That’s yours,” tweeted the network’s public relations account. “Our job is to report the news.”
It's not CNN's job to represent the U.S to the world. That's yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst 🍎
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 25, 2017
MSNBC personality and Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough also came to CNN International’s defense during Monday’s program. “This is a challenge to the First Amendment of the United States and a free press and Republicans and Democrats and independents need to all speak up and speak out. There are some things that we have to be united on,” the former Republican congressman exclaimed. “When he attacks the free press, when he attacks an independent judiciary, when he attacks our constitutional republic, we’ve got to speak out together.”
“When he attacks our constitutional republic, we’ve got to speak out together” – @JoeNBC #MorningJoe pic.twitter.com/RycMGF6YPz
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) November 27, 2017
(Via CNN)