As has become his habit, President Donald Trump took to Twitter Monday morning to blast the media for allegedly launching “fake news” attacks him and claiming that any “negative polls” about his policies are false.
“Any negative polls are fake news, just like CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election,” Trump tweeted, adding that despite any “negative” polling, “people want border security and extreme vetting.
I call my own shots, largely based on an accumulation of data, and everyone knows it. Some FAKE NEWS media, in order to marginalize, lies!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2017
Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2017
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It’s unclear exactly which “negative polls” Trump was referring to in his tweets. But the ongoing battle between the media and the Trump administration has charged ahead at a rapid pace since Trump’s inauguration a mere two-and-a-half weeks ago.
The conflict between the administration and many of the larger networks, newspapers and bloggers was even the recent subject of a liberal-leaning SNL skit featuring Melissa McCarthy as a doltish Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
But when it comes to actual public opinion, the media doesn’t seem to be incurring a lot of favor from the American people. A recent Gallup survey shows a full 36 percent of Americans think the media are being “too tough” on Trump, compared with just 28 percent who say the media aren’t being tough enough.
Conversely, only 31 percent say the media are doing their jobs “about right.”