Authoritarianism
Trump: New York Times Is The ‘Enemy Of The People,’ Free Press Will Disappear ‘In Six Years’
President Trump on Wednesday declared that The New York Times is the “true enemy of the people” a day after the news outlet published a bombshell report detailing how he asked then-acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker late last year to put U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman in charge of the investigation in New York’s Southern District into Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Berman, an ally of Trump who donated to his 2016 campaign, had been recused from the investigation. Whitaker did not act on Trump’s request and the president “soon soured on Mr. Whitaker, as he often does with his aides, and complained about his inability to pull levers at the Justice Department that could make the president’s many legal problems go away.”
“I don’t know who gave you that,” Trump said Tuesday afternoon in response to the report, calling it “fake news.”
“The New York Times reporting is false,” Trump tweeted. “They are a true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!”
The New York Times reporting is false. They are a true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019
In another tweet, Trump claimed that the free “press” is “totally out of control” before predicting “in six years, they all go BUST!”
The Press has never been more dishonest than it is today. Stories are written that have absolutely no basis in fact. The writers don’t even call asking for verification. They are totally out of control. Sadly, I kept many of them in business. In six years, they all go BUST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019
In response to Trump’s tweet attacking the Times, Maggie Haberman, who co-authored the report, noted that the White House chose not to comment before their explosive report on Trump’s request to put Berman in charge of the Cohen investigation was published.
As often happens, White House was fully briefed on story’s reportage and did not choose to say anything ahead of publication. Then POTUS comments after. https://t.co/9cQZ6eL0kk
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 19, 2019
Trump on Wednesday morning also cheered a lawsuit against The Washington Post, who he labeled, “Fake News!”
“The Washington Post ignored basic journalistic standards because it wanted to advance its well-known and easily documented biased agenda against President Donald J. Trump.” Covington student suing WAPO. Go get them Nick. Fake News!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019
