President Trump anoints Fox News state TV

[DonViejo]

By Erik Wemple
July 13 at 12:33 PM

President Trump’s penchant for diminishing the fourth estate didn’t wither on British soil. “Fake news,” he riffed at various points during a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May — the better to shout down all the accurate reporting about his unhinged behavior and pronouncements about the United States and its most pivotal allies in the world.

Kristen Welker of NBC News asked the president if his fractious relationship with NATO allies provided the “upper hand” to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the upcoming summit in Helsinki. “See, that’s such dishonest reporting — of course it happens to be NBC, which is possibly worse than CNN,” Trump said. Then he boasted about his exploits with the NATO countries.

The slight aimed at CNN provided a toehold for CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta, who has jostled with the president and his emissaries in the past. He waited for a lull in the proceedings, and this exchange proceeded:

ACOSTA: Mr. President, since you attacked CNN, can I ask you a question?

TRUMP: John Roberts, go ahead.

ACOSTA: Can I ask you a question?

TRUMP: No, no. John Roberts, go ahead. CNN is fake news. I don’t take questions from CNN.

ACOSTA: Take a question …

TRUMP: John Roberts of Fox, let’s go to a real network.

ACOSTA: Well, we’re a real network, too, sir.

Fox News White House correspondent John Roberts then said, “Thank you, Mr. President” — essentially validating the president’s hostile, baseless, authoritarian, gratuitous slam on a group of peers. The group dynamic wasn’t lost on White House-covering veterans in the news media. CNN’s Jake Tapper:

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/07/13/president-trump-anoints-fox-news-state-tv/

[TeamPooka]

1. Fck John Roberts and Fox News. Bunch of traitors

[heaven05]

2. it's state tv propaganda

for the RW idiots destroying our country by totally destroying race relations.

[Tatiana]

3. I'm a little in like with Acosta. He doesn't back down at all.

I love that about him. Even at their monstrous rallies, he still acquits himself with strength and dignity.

He's showing the other cowards in his profession the way to do it.

[spanone]

4. the Dictator is not amused.

How dare Mr. Acosta question Emperor trump

I watched that exchange. the arrogant fucktrump

[srobertss]

5. Fresh Air on Fox News

This week on Fresh Air Terry Gross interviewed Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair Journalist and author of a book on Roger Ailes, “The Loud Voice in the Room.” Sherman says that many people at Fox view Trump as a bit of an idiot. I can’t remember his exact phrase. But when they put anyone critical of Trump on they lose ratings.

Scary: Fox News ratings are propping up Trump! What a twisted mess.

[Initech]

6. The GOP has weaponized Fox News.

It was an experiment in 2001. Now it's quite literally state run TV. They are pulling Trump's strings, and he's letting them.