Donald Trump's conflict with the media explained

The major elements of Donald Trump's conflict with the media are his habitual attacks on the news media and journalists, his posts with wrong information, and his ban from major social media outlets.

Trump's attacks on the media

In 2020 the Committee to Protect Journalists published a special report by Leonard Downie Jr. titled "The Trump Administration and the Media".[1] In the very beginning the report stated:

Trump has habitually attacked the news media in rallies, responses to reporters’ questions, and many hundreds of tweets. He has repeatedly called the press “fake news,” “the enemy of the people,” “dishonest,” “corrupt,” “low life reporters,” “bad people,” “human scum” and “some of the worst human beings you’ll ever meet.”[1]

More than 600 of Trump’s tweets targeted specific news organizations, led by The New York Times, CNN, NBC and MSNBC, Fox News and The Washington Post. He called the Times, among other slurs, “fake,” “phony,” “nasty,” “disgraced,” “dumb,” “clueless,” “stupid,” “sad,” “failing,” and “dying.” He characterized the Post as “fake,” “crazy,” “dishonest,” “phony,” and “disgraced.”[1]

"Enemy of the people"

From his inauguration in January 2017 through October 15, 2019, Trump called the news media the "enemy of the people" 36 times on Twitter.[2] In 2012, former Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell gave a speech at a conference sponsored by Accuracy in Media, a conservative watchdog group, in which he called the media "the enemy of the American people". The term was promoted by far-right media organization Breitbart News, one of whose major stockholders is Robert Mercer who employed Caddell as a contractor since 2013 and was one of Donald Trump's biggest financial backers.[3] In February 2017, hours after meeting Caddell while touring a Boeing aircraft plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, Trump said on Twitter that The New York Times, NBC News, ABC, CBS, and CNN were "fake news" and "the enemy of the American People".[4] On February 24, he said at the Conservative Political Action Conference, "A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people and they are. They are the enemy of the people."[5] [6]

In a June 2018 rally in South Carolina, Trump called journalists "fake newsers" and "the enemy of the people".[7] [8] On July 19, following the critical reaction to his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 15 July 2018 in Helsinki, Finland, Trump tweeted "The Summit with Russia was a great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media." The New York Times noted Trump's use of this phrase during his "moments of peak criticism" and use of the term by Nazi and Soviet propaganda.[9] On August 2, after Trump tweeted "FAKE NEWS media... is the enemy of the American People",[10] [11] multiple international institutions such as the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights criticized Trump for his attacks on the free press.[12] On August 16, the United States Senate, in a symbolic rebuke to Trump, passed by unanimous consent a resolution affirming that the media is not "the enemy of the people" and reaffirming "the vital and indispensable role the free press serves."[13] [14]

In August 2019, when journalist Jonathan Karl asked him if he feared that his supporters would interpret this as a justification for violence, Trump replied: "I hope they take my words to heart. I believe the press is the enemy of the people."[15]

In March 2024, Trump, who had previously supported a congressional bill that would ban TikTok in the United States, said he now opposed a ban because it would help Facebook, and that he considered "Facebook to be an enemy of the people, along with a lot of the media".[16] [17] [18]

Trump's misinformation

See main article: False or misleading statements by Donald Trump.

Trump's ban by social media

See main article: Social media use by Donald Trump. After his election loss, Trump persistently undermined the election results in the weeks leading to Joe Biden's inauguration.[19] [20] His tweets played a role in inciting the January 6, 2021, attack of the US Capitol during the formal counting of electoral votes.[21] Though the Senate eventually acquitted Trump during his second impeachment, social media companies swiftly banned him. Facebook and Instagram banned him for two years.[22] [23] [24] [25] Twitter permanently suspended his @realDonaldTrump handle, followed by the official account of his campaign (@TeamTrump)[26] [27] and the accounts of allies who posted on his behalf, like Trump campaign digital director Gary Coby.[28] Twitter also deleted three tweets by Trump on the @POTUS handle[29] and barred access to the presidential account until Joe Biden's inauguration. During the first week that Trump was banned on several platforms (January 9–15), election-related misinformation declined 73 percent, according to research analytics firm Zignal Labs.[30]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. [Leonard Downie Jr.]
  2. Michael D. Shear, Maggie Haberman, Nicholas Confessore, Karen Yourish, Larry Buchanan and Keith Collins, How Trump Reshaped the Presidency in Over 11,000 Tweets, The New York Times (2 November 2019).
  3. 2017-03-17. The Reclusive Hedge-Fund Tycoon Behind the Trump Presidency. 2021-12-07. The New Yorker. en-US.
  4. News: Erickson . Amanda . Trump called the news media an 'enemy of the American People'. Here’s a history of the term. . . February 18, 2017 . August 1, 2024.
  5. News: Shuham, Matt. 24 February 2017. Trump: 'Enemy Of The People' Media Makes Up Anonymous Sources. 24 February 2017.
  6. Higgins, Andrew (26 February 2017) "Trump Embraces ‘Enemy of the People,’ a Phrase With a Fraught History" The New York Times
  7. Web site: Trump compares his propaganda to North Korea's at Bizarre South Carolina rally. Jonathan Chait. New York. 25 June 2018. 25 June 2018.
  8. Web site: Baynes . Chris . Maryland shooting: Trump ducks questions over Capital Gazette killings, as president's attacks on journalists come into focus . . 29 June 2018 . 7 July 2018.
  9. News: 'Enemy of the People': Trump Breaks Out This Phrase During Moments of Peak Criticism. 20 July 2018. en. Davis, William P.. 20 July 2018. The New York Times.
  10. Web site: Trump declares 'fake news' media 'the enemy of the American people'. USA Today.
  11. Web site: Are Journalists the Enemy of the People? Ivanka Trump Says They're Not. Katie Rogers. 2 August 2018. 3 August 2018. The New York Times.
  12. Web site: CNN's Jim Acosta Challenges Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Then Makes a Quick Exit. Michael M. Grynbaum. 2 August 2018. 3 August 2018. The New York Times.
  13. Reiss, Jaclyn (16 August 2018) "US Senate unanimously passes resolution affirming the press ‘is not the enemy of the people’" Boston Globe
  14. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-resolution/607 S.Res.607 – A resolution reaffirming the vital and indispensable role the free press serves.
  15. Web site: Moye . David . November 13, 2023 . Trump Told ABC Reporter He Hopes Fans Act On His Fiery Rhetoric . November 14, 2023 . HuffPost . en.
  16. News: Rosen . Jacob . Trump, in reversal, opposes TikTok ban, calls Facebook "enemy of the people" . . March 11, 2024 . July 31, 2024.
  17. News: Egan . Matt . Trump calls Facebook the enemy of the people. Meta’s stock sinks . . March 11, 2024 . July 31, 2024.
  18. News: Concepcion . Summer . Traylor . Jake . Trump says TikTok is a national security threat, Facebook is 'enemy of the people' . . March 11, 2024 . July 31, 2024.
  19. Web site: Nate Rattner. Trump's election lies were among his most popular tweets. January 13, 2021. CNBC. February 20, 2021. February 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210223044132/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/trump-tweets-legacy-of-lies-misinformation-distrust.html. live.
  20. Web site: Spangler. Todd. November 27, 2020. Twitter Has Flagged 200 of Trump's Posts as 'Disputed' or Misleading Since Election Day. Does It Make a Difference?. January 11, 2021. Variety. en-US. February 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210217124435/https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/twitter-trump-200-disputed-misleading-claims-election-1234841137/. live.
  21. Web site: Rodriguez. Salvador. January 6, 2021. Twitter locks Trump's account following video addressing Washington rioters. January 7, 2021. CNBC. en. January 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210107063632/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/twitter-pledges-action-on-any-calls-for-violence-in-capitol-riot.html. live.
  22. Web site: Clayton. James. Kelion. Leo. Molloy. David. January 7, 2021. Facebook blocks Trump 'at least until transition complete'. January 7, 2021. BBC News. January 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123173932/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55569604. live.
  23. Web site: Heilweil. Rebecca. June 4, 2021. What Facebook's two-year Trump ban does and doesn't do. September 19, 2021. Vox. en. July 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728144112/https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/6/4/22519076/trump-facebook-two-years-oversight-board. live.
  24. Web site: June 4, 2021. In Response to Oversight Board, Trump Suspended for Two Years; Will Only Be Reinstated if Conditions Permit. September 19, 2021. About Facebook. en-US. September 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210921004831/https://about.fb.com/news/2021/06/facebook-response-to-oversight-board-recommendations-trump/. live.
  25. News: Duffy . Clare . 25 January 2023 . Meta says it will restore Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts . 26 January 2023 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126120724/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/25/tech/meta-facebook-trump-decision/index.html . live .
  26. Web site: Twitter. January 8, 2021. Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump. January 9, 2021. blog.twitter.com. en-us. January 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210113192023/https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension.html. live.
  27. News: Collins. Ben. Zadrozny. Brandy. Brandy Zadrozny. January 8, 2021. Twitter permanently suspends President Donald Trump. en. NBC News. January 8, 2021. January 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210112023533/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-permanently-bans-president-donald-trump-n1253588. live.
  28. Web site: Lonas. Lexi. January 9, 2021. Twitter bans accounts for Trump campaign, digital director. January 11, 2021. The Hill. en.
  29. News: January 9, 2021. Twitter deletes new Trump tweets on @POTUS, suspends campaign account. en. Reuters. January 11, 2021. January 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210112143337/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-twitter-removal-idUSKBN29E02H. live.
  30. News: Dwoskin. Elizabeth. Timberg. Craig. January 16, 2021. Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump and some allies. March 25, 2021. The Washington Post. February 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210212003640/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Donald Trump's conflict with the media".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.