May 12, 2017
As the Trump administration continues to go off the rails, President Donald Trump on Friday morning threatened to "cancel all future 'press briefings'" after once again berating the so-called "Fake Media" and saying the expectation of accuracy from the White House was unrealistic.
The president's tweets about the press came after a day of tough reporting on his conflicting justifications for firing FBI director James Comey, and just ahead of a post threatening Comey.
\u201cThe Fake Media is working overtime today!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590028
\u201cAs a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!....\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590340
\u201c...Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future "press briefings" and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590856
Given Trump's previous animus toward the media, the tirade engendered predictable pushback from those unwilling to let the president threaten the fourth estate.
\u201cThomas Jefferson said "Our liberty depends on freedom of the press." The media does not work for you, @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/OVvUtZBCYg\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1494592794
\u201cSee Trump run. \nTrump White House officials tell press false things.\nMedia reports them to public. \nTrump blames media. \nRun Trump run.\u201d— Kevin Baron \ud83c\udf41\ud83c\udf42 (@Kevin Baron \ud83c\udf41\ud83c\udf42) 1494593760
\u201cIt IS possible if a President 1) prioritizes honesty/accountability (even when it's hard) 2) hires and empowers aides committed to same https://t.co/XeI4GvrI49\u201d— Josh Earnest (@Josh Earnest) 1494592788
\u201cTrump has now called the press "the enemy of the people" and has suggested banning press briefings. This is scarily authoritarian.\u201d— Brian Klaas (@Brian Klaas) 1494591368
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
As the Trump administration continues to go off the rails, President Donald Trump on Friday morning threatened to "cancel all future 'press briefings'" after once again berating the so-called "Fake Media" and saying the expectation of accuracy from the White House was unrealistic.
The president's tweets about the press came after a day of tough reporting on his conflicting justifications for firing FBI director James Comey, and just ahead of a post threatening Comey.
\u201cThe Fake Media is working overtime today!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590028
\u201cAs a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!....\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590340
\u201c...Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future "press briefings" and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590856
Given Trump's previous animus toward the media, the tirade engendered predictable pushback from those unwilling to let the president threaten the fourth estate.
\u201cThomas Jefferson said "Our liberty depends on freedom of the press." The media does not work for you, @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/OVvUtZBCYg\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1494592794
\u201cSee Trump run. \nTrump White House officials tell press false things.\nMedia reports them to public. \nTrump blames media. \nRun Trump run.\u201d— Kevin Baron \ud83c\udf41\ud83c\udf42 (@Kevin Baron \ud83c\udf41\ud83c\udf42) 1494593760
\u201cIt IS possible if a President 1) prioritizes honesty/accountability (even when it's hard) 2) hires and empowers aides committed to same https://t.co/XeI4GvrI49\u201d— Josh Earnest (@Josh Earnest) 1494592788
\u201cTrump has now called the press "the enemy of the people" and has suggested banning press briefings. This is scarily authoritarian.\u201d— Brian Klaas (@Brian Klaas) 1494591368
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
As the Trump administration continues to go off the rails, President Donald Trump on Friday morning threatened to "cancel all future 'press briefings'" after once again berating the so-called "Fake Media" and saying the expectation of accuracy from the White House was unrealistic.
The president's tweets about the press came after a day of tough reporting on his conflicting justifications for firing FBI director James Comey, and just ahead of a post threatening Comey.
\u201cThe Fake Media is working overtime today!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590028
\u201cAs a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!....\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590340
\u201c...Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future "press briefings" and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1494590856
Given Trump's previous animus toward the media, the tirade engendered predictable pushback from those unwilling to let the president threaten the fourth estate.
\u201cThomas Jefferson said "Our liberty depends on freedom of the press." The media does not work for you, @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/OVvUtZBCYg\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1494592794
\u201cSee Trump run. \nTrump White House officials tell press false things.\nMedia reports them to public. \nTrump blames media. \nRun Trump run.\u201d— Kevin Baron \ud83c\udf41\ud83c\udf42 (@Kevin Baron \ud83c\udf41\ud83c\udf42) 1494593760
\u201cIt IS possible if a President 1) prioritizes honesty/accountability (even when it's hard) 2) hires and empowers aides committed to same https://t.co/XeI4GvrI49\u201d— Josh Earnest (@Josh Earnest) 1494592788
\u201cTrump has now called the press "the enemy of the people" and has suggested banning press briefings. This is scarily authoritarian.\u201d— Brian Klaas (@Brian Klaas) 1494591368
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.