It's not a secret that Donald Trump and the mainstream media are not on the same page and haven't been for some time. After just over two months in the White House, the president is continuing his attack on the media.
Trump on MSNBC
When Donald Trump first announced his campaign for president, he quickly received backlash from the press after referring to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "murderers" and "rapists." Almost two years since that day, the former host of "The Apprentice" has engaged in a heated war of words with various news outlets and journalists, routinely referring to reporters as "terrible" and "the most dishonest people" he's ever met.
The feud between both sides increased following Inauguration Day, which was evident after the White House banned several well-respected news outlets from taking part in a press briefing at the White House earlier this year. In an attempt to turn the tables on the press and deflect from his own scandals, Trump and the right-wing media have been pushing the baseless claim that former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice took part in the alleged "unmasking" of Trump transition team members. During an interview with the New York Times published on April 6, the president took a shot at Rice, while also making another allegation about a top cable news host.
Trump calls NBC's Andrea Mitchell "Hillary Clinton's PR person" https://t.co/5MkEMb04Dn pic.twitter.com/28alfZDN6a
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 6, 2017
Earlier this week, MSNBC host and NBC News corespondent Andrea Mitchell conducted an interview with Susan Rice, and Donald Trump was not happy about.
The president suggested, without evidence, that Rice may have committed a "crime," though no proof was given to back up his statement. At this point, Trump directed his attack onto Mitchell.
Trump on Mitchell
"Take a look at what's happening," Donald Trump told the New York Times in reference to the Rice unmasking conspiracy.
"I mean, first of all her performance was horrible yesterday on television," Trump said, before adding. "even though she was interviewed by Hillary Clinton's P.R. person, Andrea Mitchell." This isn't the first time that Trump has targeted MSNBC and NBC talent, as the commander in chief has made it clear that any reports that put him in a negative light will be criticized by the White House and often labeled as "fake news."
Next up
While most of the media are looking past the allegations made against Susan Rice, the story appears to have legs in conservative circles. With Donald Trump, Fox News, and others harping and promoting the issue, it's unknown how much longer it will continue to linger in the press.