Trump blames media for bomb blitz, tells journalists to ‘clean up’ their act
US President Donald Trump has lashed out at the media in the wake of suspicious packages being sent to CNN’s New York office and a number of high-profile Democrats, saying that “fake news” was partly to blame.
In a Thursday morning tweet, Trump wrote that “purposely false and inaccurate reporting” by the mainstream media was a “very big part” of the anger some Americans were feeling about politics.
“It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!”
The tweet followed the discovery of another suspicious package at a New York restaurant owned by Robert De Niro, one of Trump’s Hollywood critics.
A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2018
Trump’s tweet was a continuation in a long-running war of words between his administration and the media, particularly CNN, which he branded as a “fake news” network on multiple occasions during his campaign and presidency.
Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also hit out at CNN following comments from the network’s president claiming that there was a "total and complete lack of understanding" within Trump administration about the seriousness of attacks made on the media. Sanders tweeted in response that CNN had chosen “to attack and divide” in its reporting.
.@realDonaldTrump asked Americans “to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the USA” Yet you chose to attack and divide. America should unite against all political violence. https://t.co/Dlo3xwHyKi
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) October 25, 2018
In the space of 48 hours, potential explosive devices were sent to a number of high profile Democrats including former President Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, billionaire donor George Soros, and congresswomen Maxine Waters & Debbie Wasserman Schultz — all outspoken Trump critics. The package sent to CNN also included an envelope containing a white powder substance. Police have told media that they believe the packages were all sent by the same person.
Trump yesterday condemned the “despicable” attempts at political violence, while New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio described the bomb scares as “clearly an act of terror”.
Reaction to the incidents has varied online, with some Americans believing that the bombs were sent by a crazed Trump supporter, while others argued that the timing suggests the mailings could be part of a ‘false flag’ operation to benefit Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
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