Trump Clarifies Ivanka's Defense of Media: 'Fake News' Is Enemy of the People
President Donald Trump argued on Thursday that he and daughter Ivanka are in agreement that the media is not the “enemy of the people,” but he added, “fake news” is.
The first daughter was asked at an event hosted by Axios earlier in the day if she believed the media is the enemy of the people.
“No, I do not,” Ivanka Trump replied, appearing surprised by the question.
“That’s not a view that is shared in your family,” Axios co-founder Michael Allen responded.
Ivanka Trump elaborated, “I’ve certainly received my fair share of reporting on me personally that I know not to be fully accurate, so I have some sensitivity around why people have concerns and gripes, especially when they sort of feel targeted.”
“But no, I do not consider the media the enemy of the people,” she said.
.@IvankaTrump: "No. I do not feel that the media is the enemy of the people."
Full video here: https://t.co/jDuINeDEQU #Axios360 pic.twitter.com/mH1FdeMe6v
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 2, 2018
After multiple media outlets reported that the first daughter had broken with her father on the issue, the president tweeted, “They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said no.”
They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said no. It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2018
Trump added, “It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people!”
The president has often stated that not all reporters are bad and acknowledged there are some “great people” in the press.
He seems to most often label CNN with the moniker “fake news,” but others get the designation from him as well.
Shortly after taking office in 2017 he tweeted, “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American 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
Last week, Trump met at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as publisher of The New York Times in January.
He tweeted afterward, “Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, ‘Enemy of the People.’ Sad!”
Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, “Enemy of the People.” Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018
On Thursday, CNN’s Jim Acosta pushed White House press secretary Sarah Sanders to state that the media is not the enemy of the American people.
“I think it would be a good thing if you were to say right here, at this briefing, that the press … are not the enemy of the people. I think we deserve that,” he said.
Complete exchange between @Acosta and @PressSec on whether or not the press is the enemy or the people.
Full video here: https://t.co/0dlyUd8srP pic.twitter.com/b9u4fliunW
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 2, 2018
Sanders fired back: “It’s ironic, Jim, that not only you and the media attack the president for his rhetoric when they frequently lower the level of conversation in this country. Repeatedly, repeatedly the media resorts to personal attacks without any content other than to incite anger.”
“The media has attacked me personally on a number of occasions, including your own network; said I should be harassed as a life sentence, that I should be choked,” she continued. “When I was hosted by the Correspondent’s Association, of which almost all of you are members of, you brought a comedian up to attack my appearance, and call me a traitor to my own gender.”
Sanders further pointed out, “(A)s I know, as far as I know, I’m the first press secretary in the history of the United States that’s required Secret Service protection.”
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