US President Ramps up Attacks on Journalists: 'They Can Also Cause War!'

US President Donald Trump on Sunday ratcheted up his attacks on the news media as the “enemy of the people”, saying they “can also cause War”.

News ID: 71617

Date: 06 August 2018 - 13:53

TEHRAN (Defapress)-He accused journalists in an early morning tweet of “purposely” causing “division & distrust” in the country.

“The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it’s TRUE,” he said, adding that “I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People".

“They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!” the president stated.

Trump has feuded with the media continuously throughout his presidency, labeling negative coverage "fake news".

In recent weeks, however, he has used the phrase “enemy of the people” more often, sparking further conflict between reporters and the administration.

Trump's daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump last week appeared to break with her father, saying she does not think the media is the “enemy of the people”.

The president then said that his daughter was correct, but that “the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media”, is the enemy.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, however, refused to say that the media is not the enemy of the people during a heated exchange last week with CNN correspondent Jim Acosta.

Trump in late July unleashed a tirade against the media in which he called reporters "unpatriotic" for reporting on the inner workings of the government.

In a series of tweets, the president singled out The New York Times and The Washington Post for writing "bad stories" about his administration, which he amounted to "[selling] out" the country.

"90% of media coverage of my Administration is negative, despite the tremendously positive results we are achieving, it’s no surprise that confidence in the media is at an all time low!" Trump tweeted.

"I will not allow our great country to be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry," he said, adding that "no matter how much they try to distract and cover it up, our country is making great progress under my leadership and I will never stop fighting for the American people!"

Trump, who has had a testy relationship with the media since declaring his candidacy, often seeks to discredit coverage he dislikes as "fake news". He has at times suggested pulling credentials from reporters, encouraged rally crowds to jeer media and escalated his attacks by labeling journalists the "enemy of the people".

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