President Donald Trump addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference 2017 at National Harbor in Maryland on Friday for the first time in two years, railing in an extended rant against the "Fake News media" and what he viewed as negative coverage of him. In the same breath, he said he is only against the "fake news" media. In trying to explain his "Enemy Of The People" comment, he claimed to love the First Amendment. Trump added, "It gives us the right to criticize fake news."
Trump criticized use by media of 'anonymous sources in stories'
He also strongly criticized the use of "anonymous sources in stories." Trump again lashed out at polling by CNBC and others that publish polls that are not favorable to him.
During the course of the speech, Trump once again defended his "fake" story of a terrorist attack taking place in Sweden.
Trump told a crowd in Florida last week that Sweden took in large numbers of Syrian refugees. "They’re having problems like they never thought possible.” However, there was no terrorist attack there and Trump was subjected to ridicule from leaders in Sweden and the media in Sweden. In fact, The Swedish Newspaper Aftonbladet had fun at his expense in taking on a mocking tone in ridiculing his "fake" terrorist attack that never happened.
JUST IN: At CPAC, Trump lashes out at media https://t.co/rhr7kDXFEU pic.twitter.com/z7c3DFJQpn
— The Hill (@thehill) February 24, 2017
Trump tirade against the media calling them the 'Enemy of the People'
“In covering my comments, the dishonest media did not explain that I called the fake news the enemy of the people – the fake news,” President Trump said in trying to clarify a tweet labeling the New York Times, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News and CNN News as "fake news." The implication of his tweet was that all legitimate media is an "enemy of the people."
The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017
During the course of his speech, Trump falsely claimed that the lines getting into CPAC conference "go back 6 blocks." He said, "I tell you that because you won’t read about it." The Hill reported, "There were no lines getting into the Gaylord within the hour before Trump began speaking."
Trump falsely claims lines "go back 6 blocks" for his CPAC speech https://t.co/Jtf7xJuPV5 pic.twitter.com/NuGEevozxK
— The Hill (@thehill) February 24, 2017
Trump also said that the media would not report he received a "standing ovation" from the crowd.
At which point the crowd rose and gave President Trump a "standing ovation" with some prompting. Also, Vox reported that during the course of the speech at CPAC 2017 some in the audience were waving tiny Russian flags.
Trump fans were waving tiny Russian flags until CPAC staff confiscated them https://t.co/XzkFg8r1Cr
— Vox (@voxdotcom) February 24, 2017