Former President Donald Trump is crowing over a Columbia Journalism Review probe that found “serious flaws” in the media’s coverage of the 2016 Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russia.
The report was a black eye to The New York Times and other Pulitzer Prize winners for their stories about the Trump-Russia saga.
“The Columbia Journalism Review, in no way a conservative publication, conducted an 18-month investigation into the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax and has just issued its report,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. “It is a STAGGERING, detailed account of the lies, disinformation, and complete lack of journalistic integrity exhibited by the purveyors of Fake News at the Washington Compost (sometimes known as the Washington Post), the Failing New York Times, and many other.”
The CJR report faulted reporters and editors for failing to follow their own rules on using anonymous sources and refusing to be transparent about their work in attempting to prove links between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016. It also faulted the news outlets’ lack of acknowledgment that the allegations of collusion with Moscow were never substantiated.
For months, Mr. Trump has demanded that the Pulitzer Prize Board rescind its awards to The Post and the Times for their Russiagate stories, while the newspapers have stood by their reporting.
The ex-president is using the occasion to reprise his unsubstantiated claims the 2020 election was stolen from him as he launches a 2024 White House bid.
“This Fake News, with all of its disinformation, had a huge impact on the 2020 Presidential Election, just one of the many ways that the Election was Rigged and Stolen,” he said.
CJR interviewed Mr. Trump twice for its report and said he “remains furious over what he calls the ‘witch hunt’ or ‘hoax’ and remains obsessed with [special counsel Robert] Mueller.”
“I realized early on I had two jobs,” Mr. Trump said. “The first was to run the country, and the second was survival. I had to survive: the stories were unbelievably fake.”
Some polls show Mr. Trump continues to dominate the GOP, while others suggest Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would be a tough opponent for him in a hypothetical 2024 primary matchup.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley plans to enter the race this month.
• Dave Boyer contributed to this report.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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