President Trump on Monday raged at the news media, calling his opponents in the press “crazed lunatics” who are out to get him.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump blasted what he called the “Fake News Media” for ignoring his achievements and skewing reports to put him in a bad light.
He also repeated his charge that “Fake News Media is truly the Enemy of the People,” which reliably riles journalists and his liberal critics who view it as an attack on the First Amendment.
“With all of the success that our Country is having, including the just released jobs numbers which are off the charts, the Fake News & totally dishonest Media concerning me and my presidency has never been worse. Many have become crazed lunatics who have given up on the TRUTH!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
The country added 312,000 jobs in December, according to Labor Department figures announced last week, nearly double the expected employment gains.
The whopping jobs number was widely reported, though rarely attributed to Trump administration policies.
The president’s tweets intensified his war with the news media while, on another front, he is embroiled in a government shutdown battle with Capitol Hill Democrats.
“The Fake News will knowingly lie and demean in order make the tremendous success of the Trump Administration, and me, look as bad as possible,” he tweeted. “They use non-existent sources & write stories that are total fiction. Our Country is doing so well, yet this is a sad day in America!”
Jabbing journalists, Mr. Trump called for restoring honesty to the profession.
“The Fake News Media in our Country is the real Opposition Party. It is truly the Enemy of the People! We must bring honesty back to journalism and reporting!” he wrote.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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