President Donald Trump threatened the press on Wednesday a day after the New York Times revealed a bombshell report exposing his efforts to undermine federal investigations against him.
Not only did Trump try to get former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to put a Trump crony in charge of the Southern District of New York to sabotage investigations in that office, the Times reported, several Republicans hatched a plan to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation in order to protect Trump. Trump’s lawyers even dangled pardons to Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort in exchange for their silence, which may constitute obstruction of justice.
Furthermore, the Washington Post revealed that Trump calls Republican lawmakers at all hours looking for praise.
And so, Trump lashed out at the press on Wednesday morning, first by whining that news organizations don’t call to ask him for verification, and then issuing a threat to put them out of business in six years.
The Press has never been more dishonest than it is today. Stories are written that have absolutely no basis in fact. The writers don’t even call asking for verification. They are totally out of control. Sadly, I kept many of them in business. In six years, they all go BUST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019
Trump has told over 8,000 lies since taking office and often lies to reporters to their faces. Why would any news organization ask for verification of a story when all Trump is going to do is lie?
Trump went on to praise a frivolous lawsuit against the Washington Post by Covington Catholic school student and Trump supporter Nick Sandmann seeking $250 million over reporting by the newspaper on his effort to intimidate a Native American man on the National Mall while wearing a racist “MAGA” hat earlier this year.
“The Washington Post ignored basic journalistic standards because it wanted to advance its well-known and easily documented biased agenda against President Donald J. Trump.” Covington student suing WAPO. Go get them Nick. Fake News!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019
Trump would later call the New York Times the “enemy of the people.”
The New York Times reporting is false. They are a true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019
Trump’s attacks on the press have reached a fever pitch and journalists are in danger like never before, especially at Trump rallies. During Trump’s recent rally in El Paso, a Trump supporter attacked a BBC cameraman. The White House issued a statement condemning the incident but it’s very clear that Trump himself revels in attacks on the press no matter what form they take.
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