Trump’s War on the Media Escalates

Donald Trump is back at it, teeing off on the press corps in a late-night tirade that underscores just how toxic relations have become between the White House and the broadcast networks covering him.

Following a weekend move by the administration to strip press credentials and ban reporters from CNN, MS Now, and Politico, the president took to Truth Social just before midnight to launch a blistering attack on the journalists doing their jobs.

Singling out CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins—who was on the ground in New York City to cover the United Nations General Assembly—Trump branded reporters "SLEAZEBAGS" and labeled the coverage teams "sick, treasonous, and demented".

The latest social media outburst comes on the heels of an unprecedented united front from the TV news industry. In response to the White House barring specific outlets from the grounds, major broadcast networks suspended standard TV pool coverage, opting out of traditional video generation to protest the blatant infringement on press access. Rather than backing down, Trump used his midnight platform to blast the networks for their presence at the UN, questioning why they were "ranting and raving like Lunatics, in the Press Area".

Never one to limit his targets, Trump also took a swipe at the judicial system, training his fire on U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly—a Trump appointee. Kelly is overseeing the emergency lawsuit filed by the banned news organizations attempting to block the administration's restrictions. Trump preemptively complained that the outlets drew a "totally disloyal Judge".

To cap off the late-night social media blitz, the president shared a bizarre video featuring a man donning a dress and makeup to mock a "fake news" CNN reporter.

As the legal battles play out in federal court and the White House attempts to justify the media blackout through the Department of Justice, it's abundantly clear that Trump’s relentless teeing-off on the media isn't letting up anytime soon.

H/T HuffPo