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By Brett Samuels, The Hill
President Trump on Sunday 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.
[post_ads]"I will not allow our great country to be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the dying newspaper industry," he added. "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 derides coverage he dislikes as "fake news." He has at various times suggested pulling credentials from reporters, encouraged rally crowds to jeer media in attendance and labeled journalists the "enemy of the people."
The White House last week banned a CNN reporter from covering an event open to the press after she repeatedly asked questions about Trump's relationship with his former attorney, Michael Cohen, during a meeting with the leader of the European Commission. Media organizations widely condemned the move.
Trump has maintained that confrontational tone, even after a gunman opened fire on a Maryland newspaper office last month, killing five people.
When the media - driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome - reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic! Freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news...— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018
Despite all that, the White House has on multipleoccasions asserted it is committed to a "free press."
The president's latest Twitter attacks on the media comes hours after he revealed he met with A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of The New York Times. Trump claimed the two discussed how he believes the media has become the "enemy of the people."
The meeting took place on July 20, and had been off the record, The New York Times said in a statement. However, once Trump acknowledged it took place, Sulzberger issued a statement saying he warned Trump about the danger of his rhetoric toward reporters.
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"I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence," Sulzberger said.
"I warned that it was putting lives at risk, that it was undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our country's greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press," he added.
...and the Amazon Washington Post do nothing but write bad stories even on very positive achievements - and they will never change!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018
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