President Donald Trump lashed out at the media on Thursday and in a tweet strongly suggested that “inaccurate reporting” and “fake news” was responsible for a bomb that was sent to CNN Wednesday, along with similar attacks on several prominent Democrats this week.
“A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News,” said Trump. “It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1055418269270716418
Though President Trump and his White House have broadly condemned the attacks, the billionaire himself has avoided a specific and robust defense of CNN — which he routinely denigrates as “fake news.”
In remarks at the White House Wednesday, Trump denounced “all” political violence. He also passed on offering one of his signature tweets on the issue, rather than saying he “agreed” with a tweet from Mike Pence that mentioned CNN and condemned the attacks.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1055127893112696832
Even that cautious response was jettisoned by Wednesday evening, however.
“The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories,” Trump told attendees at one of his signature campaign rallied in Wisconsin. “They’ve got to stop.”