The Guide To Donald Trump's War On The Press (So Far)

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has an extensive history of attacking the media, and his campaign and supporters have joined in the fight throughout the election. The nominee, his surrogates, and his supporters have called media outlets and reporters across the spectrum “dishonest,” “neurotic,” “dumb,” and a “waste of time,” and until recently, the campaign had a media blacklist of outlets that weren’t allowed into campaign events.

Journalists And Pundits Attacked By Trump:

Media Outlets And Shows Attacked Or Criticized By Trump:

General Attacks On The Media

Journalists Attacked By Trump Fans:

If you know of a journalist or media outlet attacked by Trump that should be added to this list, email press@mediamatters.org with a link to the abuse.

For more on Trump's war on the media, including his threats to change libel laws, click here.

Journalists And Pundits Attacked By Trump

Trump has levied attacks against media figures across the board, including Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, and MSNBC’s Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, calling journalists “extremely unattractive,” “kooky,” “neurotic,” “dumb,” and “garbage.”

Jose Diaz Balart (Telemundo)

Donald Trump To Jose Diaz Balart: “You’re With Telemundo And Telemundo Should Be Ashamed.”

“Many feel that what you said, when you said that people that cross the border are rapists and murderers,” the Jose Diaz Balart (an anchor on MSNBC and Telemundo) began before Trump cut him off.

“No, no, we're talking about illegal immigration and everybody understands it. And you know what? That's a typical case of the press with misinterpretation,” Trump roared as his supporters cheered. “They take half a sentence, then they take a quarter of a sentence. They put it all together. It's a typical thing.”

“You're with Telemundo and Telemundo should be ashamed,” he added. [RealClearPolitics, 7/23/15]

Glenn Beck (TheBlaze)

[Twitter, 12/17/15]

Bob Beckel (CNN)

Trump Called CNN’s Bob Beckel “Irritating” For Bringing Up His Bankruptcies On Fox. In Trump’s book Time To Get Tough: Make America Great Again! Trump called Bob Beckel, then of Fox News, “somewhat irritating” for bringing up Trump’s bankruptcies on air. Trump contacted Fox to clarify that he personally “never went bankrupt” and instead “used the nation’s laws to do and turn great deals.” Trump later claimed he “enjoy[s Beckel] much more” after Beckel stopped bringing up his bankruptcy:

One guy I find somewhat irritating, but have actually come to like in terms of viewing, is Bob Beckel, the resident liberal on Fox News. I don’t know the guy, but every time in the past when my name was mentioned, Beckel would say, “Well, what does he know? He went bankrupt.”

When I heard this, I asked one of my people to call Fox and explain that I never went bankrupt. Over the years, I, Carl Icahn, Henry Kravis, Cerberus, Apollo, and many of the biggest names in business have used the nation’s laws to do and turn great deals. I have used the laws for certain companies to reduce debt and turn them around. I have also bought companies and immediately thrown them into Chapter 11 in order to renegotiate with banks, and made great deals because of it— I followed the law, and what’s wrong with that? Now, if they change the laws, I will find another way to gain maximum advantage. But the bottom line is I never went bankrupt. Anyway, I have to give credit to Beckel, because after we set him straight, he has stopped making his mistake and now I enjoy him much more. [Time To Get Tough, Make America Great Again!, 2011]

Jeff Bezos (Wash. Post)

[Twitter, 12/7/15]

David Brooks (NY Times)

[Twitter, 3/6/16]

Mika Brzezinski (MSNBC)

[Twitter, 6/3/16]

[Twitter, 8/22/16]

[Twitter, 8/22/16]

[Twitter, 9/2/16]

Erin Burnett (CNN)

[Twitter, 3/1/13]

[Twitter, 3/19/13]

Alisyn Camerota (CNN)

[Twitter, 1/21/16]

Jonathan Capehart (Wash. Post)

[Twitter, 7/7/15]

Chris Cillizza (Wash. Post)

[Twitter, 5/11/15]

Gail Collins (NY Times)

[Twitter, 3/15/14]

Jill Colvin (AP)

[Twitter, 11/21/15]

Anderson Cooper (CNN)

Trump Tells CNN’s Anderson Cooper: “The People Don’t Trust You.” Trump told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that “the people don’t trust you” after Cooper confronted Trump about his negative poll numbers and dishonesty. [TheWrap.com, 6/23/15]

[Twitter, 6/23/16]

McKay Coppins (BuzzFeed News)

[Twitter, 2/18/14]

[Twitter, 2/18/14]

[Twitter, 2/19/14]

[Twitter, 2/15/14]

S.E. Cupp (CNN)

[Twitter, 12/9/15]

Sopan Deb (CBS News)

[Twitter, 12/5/15]

Kurt Eichenwald (Newsweek)

Trump Attacked Pulitzer Prize Finalist Kurt Eichenwald’s “Very Bad Reputation As A Reporter.” In response to Kurt Eichenwald's Newsweek report on Trump's alleged violation of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, Trump told New Hampshire's NH1 station, “There's this guy who has a very bad reputation as a reporter. You see what his record is, he wrote something about me in Cuba.” [Tampa Bay Times, 9/30/16]

Erick Erickson (The Resurgent)

[Twitter, 10/8/15]

[Twitter, 8/9/16]

Michelle Fields (Huff. Post)

Trump Campaign Manager Arrested For Battery Of Michelle Fields; Trump Lashed Out At Reporter Online. After Trump’s then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was arrested on battery charges stemming from an altercation with reporter Michelle Fields, Trump lashed out at Fields on Twitter, claiming she changed her story and questioning whether he could press charges against her.

Donald Trump reacted to news of his campaign manager’s arrest in Florida on battery charges Tuesday with his usual Twitter tantrum, lashing out to mock a former Breitbart staffer who filed a criminal complaint against Trump’s top aide after he forcefully yanked her away from the Republican presidential frontrunner earlier this month.

Fields, who soon after the March 8 incident took to Twitter to share bruises she alleged were left by Lewandowski, responded to Trump’s charge, insisting that her “story never changed.” [Salon, 3/29/16]

[Twitter, 3/29/16]

[Twitter, 3/29/16]

Willie Geist (MSNBC)

[Twitter, 6/24/15]

Bernard Goldberg (Fox News)

[Twitter, 12/10/15]

Jonah Goldberg (National Review)

[Twitter, 4/25/15]

[Twitter, 4/25/15]

[Twitter, 4/25/15]

[Twitter, 4/20/15]

[Twitter, 4/20/15]

Whoopi Goldberg (The View)

[Twitter, 1/7/16

Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

Trump Called HBO Real Sports Host Bryant Gumbel A “Clown” And Criticized Him For Trying To “Paint” Trump “As Some Kind Of Racist” Instead Of Fawning Over His Golf Course Project. In Trump’s book Time To Get Tough: Make America Great Again! Trump called Bryant Gumbel, a former co-host of NBC’s Today, “someone I don’t enjoy” and a “clown.” Trump lamented that in covering his golf course project in Scotland, Gumbel went “off on a rant about me and Obama and tries to paint me as some kind of racist”:

Someone I don’t enjoy is the clown called Bryant Gumbel. He has failed on so many shows I’ve lost count. At any rate, Gumbel goes on HBO to cover the amazing story of a golf course I am building in Scotland. Trump International Golf Links is being built on the largest dunes in the world. When completed, there won’t be anything like it. In fact, I and others predict it will be the greatest golf course anywhere in the world. It’s a spectacular project, but it’s been controversial because some environmental groups are opposed to developing the Great Dunes of Scotland, which I happen to own. So Bryant gets on HBO to do a story on the amazing golf course and goes off on a rant about me and Obama and tries to paint me as some kind of racist, which I am the furthest thing from being. Here he gets this big story on almost 2,000 acres along the North Sea in Scotland being transformed into the world’s greatest golf course, and what does he do? He launches into a temper tantrum about Donald Trump. What a jerk! About the only thing I admire about the guy is his taste in real estate— he bought a couple of apartments in one of my many buildings. [Time To Get Tough: Make America Great Again!, 2011] 

John Harwood (CNBC)

Trump: John Harwood Is A “Lightweight” Who Should Be “Fired.” During an October 12 campaign rally, Trump called CNBC's John Harwood a “lightweight” and said Harwood “was shaking he was so nervous” during the CNBC Republican primary debate. Trump continued, “They should have fired him for what he did,” later asserting that “nobody ever heard of him before.” From the October 12 rally:

DONALD TRUMP: This lightweight, you know John Harwood? This lightweight. This guy who came out, he was shaking he was so nervous. He asked me the first question, “Mr. Trump could you answer this question?” What a lightweight. They should have fired him for what he did. John Harwood, I hate to make him famous because nobody ever heard of him before, but a total lightweight. [Fox News, Happening Now10/12/16

Stephen Hayes (The Weekly Standard, Fox News)

[Twitter, 4/20/15]

[Twitter, 4/20/15]

Hugh Hewitt (Salem Radio Network, MSNBC)

Trump: Radio Host Hugh Hewitt Is “A Third-Rate Radio Announcer.” After Trump “stumbl[ed] over foreign policy questions in an interview” on The Hugh Hewitt Show, as The Hill reported, he attacked host Hugh Hewitt, calling him a “third-rate radio announcer.” From a September 4 article in The Hill:

Donald Trump is blasting Hugh Hewitt after stumbling over foreign policy questions in an interview with the conservative radio host.

“[He is] a third-rate radio announcer,” Trump told hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday morning.

Trump clashed with the radio host on Thursday evening's “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” Hewitt began asking him what he called “commander-in-chief questions" about international affairs. The exchange became heated when Trump mistook a question about Iran’s Quds Force as a query about the Kurds. [The Hill, 9/4/15]

[Twitter, 9/5/15]

Lester Holt (NBC News)

Trump: “I Have A Set Of Things That I’ll Be Doing If” NBC’s Lester Holt Is Unfair. Trump told the hosts of Fox News’ Fox & Friends that he was going to be “treated very unfairly during the debate” NBC’s Lester Holt is moderating and that he has “a set of things” he will “be doing if that’s the case.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 9/19/16]

Jeff Horowitz (AP)

[Twitter, 11/23/15]

Arianna Huffington (Huff. Post)

[Twitter, 10/26/12]

[Twitter, 4/6/15]

[Twitter, 7/18/15]

Brit Hume (Fox News)

[Twitter, 2/22/16]

Harry Hurt (Author)

[Twitter, 7/29/15]

Megyn Kelly (Fox News)

[Twitter, 8/7/15]

Trump: “You Could See” That Megyn Kelly “Had Blood Coming Out Of Her Eyes, Blood Coming Out Of Her Wherever” When She Was Moderating Fox News’ Republican Primary Debate. Following Fox News’ August 6, 2015, Republican primary debate,Trump criticized debate moderate and Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s performance, calling her “off base” for “asking [him] all sorts of ridiculous questions.” In a CNN interview, Trump said, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.” From The Washington Post’s August 8 article:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday night that Fox News Channel anchor Megyn Kelly “had blood coming out of her eyes” when she aggressively questioned him during Thursday's presidential debate.

“She gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions,” Trump said in a CNN interview. “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever. In my opinion, she was off base.”

[...]

“I just don't respect her as a journalist,” Trump said of Kelly. “I have no respect for her. I don't think she's very good. I think she's highly overrated.” [The Washington Post, 8/8/15]

[Twitter, 10/18/15]

[Twitter, 12/15/15]

[Twitter, 12/15/15]

[Twitter, 1/11/16]

[Twitter, 1/23/16]

[Twitter, 1/27/16]

[Twitter, 2/16/16]

[Twitter, 2/16/16]

[Twitter, 3/15/16]

[Twitter, 3/15/16]

[Twitter, 3/17/16]

[Twitter, 3/17/16]

[Twitter, 3/18/16]

[Twitter, 3/19/16]

[Twitter, 3/20/16]

[Twitter, 4/1/16]

[Twitter, 6/26/16]

Serge Kovaleski (NY Times)

Trump Mocked Disabled New York Times Reporter, Then Claimed He Had “No Idea Who This Reporter, Serge Kovaleski, Is.” The New York Times reported that Trump mocked a reporter who has “arthrogryposis, which limits the functioning of his joints” by “jerking his arms around and holding his right hand at an angle.” From the November 27 New York Times report:

In South Carolina, Mr. Trump described Mr. Kovaleski as a “nice reporter” before mocking his comments about the article in The Post.

“Now the poor guy, you ought to see this guy,” Mr. Trump said, before jerking his arms around and holding his right hand at an angle. “ ‘Ah, I don’t know what I said! I don’t remember!’

”Mr. Kovaleski, who covered Mr. Trump extensively while he was a reporter at The Daily News, has arthrogryposis, which limits the functioning of his joints.

In his statement on Thursday, Mr. Trump maintained that he had never met Mr. Kovaleski.

“I have no idea who this reporter, Serge Kovalski [sic], is, what he looks like or his level of intelligence,” Mr. Trump said.

[...]

In an interview on Thursday, Mr. Kovaleski said that he met with Mr. Trump repeatedly when he was a reporter for The Daily News covering the developer’s business career in the late 1980s, before joining The Post. “Donald and I were on a first-name basis for years,” Mr. Kovaleski said. “I’ve interviewed him in his office,” he added. “I’ve talked to him at press conferences. All in all, I would say around a dozen times, I’ve interacted with him as a reporter while I was at The Daily News.” [The New York Times, 11/26/15]

Charles Krauthammer (Syndicated Column, Fox News)

[Twitter, 6/4/15]

[Twitter, 6/4/15]

[Twitter, 1/28/16]

[Twitter, 2/13/16]

Don Lemon (CNN)

[Twitter, 9/10/16]

[Twitter, 9/29/16]

Jonathan Lemire (Associated Press)

Trump Ejects “Sleazebag” AP Reporter For Asking About Sexual Assault Allegations. Trump kicked Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire out of an October 13 campaign event for asking Trump about sexual assault allegations against him, and subsequently called him a “sleazebag,” according to The Huffington Post. [The Huffington Post, 10/13/16

Jennifer Lin (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Trump Reportedly Called Former Philadelphia Inquirer Financial Reporter A “Cunt.” Trump allegedly called Jennifer Lin, a former financial reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, a “cunt” in 1988 after she “had written a story about his dealings with casinos.” Lin said that Trump called her and yelled at her, telling her that she had “shit for brains” and “worked for a shitty newspaper,” and then called her editor and “referred to [Lin] as ‘that cunt.’” From a September 29 Mediaite article (italics original):

This morning, a story appeared on Billy Penn. It was written by Jennifer Lin, a former financial reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer who was once called a “c*nt” by current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

She had written a story about his dealings with casinos. Another person had outbid him and in the compromise between them, shareholders ended up getting paid way more than they would have if Trump’s initial proposal had gone unchallenged. She wrote that the other bidder had mentioned Trump trying to intimidate shareholders by threatening them with bankruptcy and insisting he was the only one who could complete the casino project that had thus far failed.

Obviously, he didn’t like the story. First, he called Lin:

There was no hello. But there was yelling, lots of yelling.

The word “shit” was used repeatedly as a noun and adjective.

I had shit for brains.

I worked for a shitty newspaper.

What sort of shit did I write.

Before I could reply, he hung up.

Next, he called her editor, Craig Stock:

Craig was treated to the same Trumpian wordplay, but got an added treat. Trump referred to me as “that cunt.”

Finally, this exchange happened:

Craig, a calm Iowan, asked Trump what was wrong with the story. He explained that The Inquirer would run a correction if the paper had made an error.

Trump snapped that he didn’t read the story.

“No one reads the story,” the 41-year-old blustered. “I read the headline and I didn’t like it.”

Craig suggested that he read the story, then call him back if there were any problems.

He did not hear back from Trump. [Mediaite, 9/29/16]

Tom Llamas (ABC News)

Trump Called ABC’s Tom Llamas “A Sleaze” During A “Tirade About The Press.” During a May 31 press conference, Trump “pointed out ABC News reporter Tom Llamas and called him ‘a sleaze,’” for “asking the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to explain why he had misled people about how much money he’d raised for veterans.” According to a CNN article, the attack “came amid one of Trump’s familiar diatribes about the ‘dishonest’ media,” and it was just “the latest in a string of personal insults Trump has made against reporters covering his campaign.” From the May 31 CNN.com article:

Donald Trump's criticism of the media has reached Nixonian levels — only Trump isn't doing the name-calling in private. He's doing it right to reporters' faces.

On Tuesday, Trump pointed out ABC News reporter Tom Llamas and called him “a sleaze.” Llamas' crime? Asking the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to explain why he had misled people about how much money he'd raised for veterans.

During his tirade about the press, he interrupted CNN's Jim Acosta who was asking Trump about his ability to deal with scrutiny, to say sarcastically, “Excuse me, excuse me. I've watched you on TV. You're a real beauty.”

The attack, which came amid one of Trump's familiar diatribes about the “dishonest” media, was the latest in a string of personal insults Trump has made against reporters covering his campaign. [CNN.com, 5/31/16]

[Twitter, 8/20/15]

Errol Louis (NY1 News, CNN)

[Twitter, 11/30/15]

Rich Lowry (National Review)

[Twitter, 9/23/15]

Ruth Marcus (Wash. Post)

[Twitter, 1/3/16]

Jonathan Martin (NY Times)

[Instagram.com, 9/24/15]

Alexi McCammond (Bustle)

[Twitter, 9/26/16]

[Twitter, 9/26/16]

Joseph McQuaid (New Hampshire Union Leader)

Donald Trump Called New Hampshire Union Leader Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid “A Real Low-Life.” During an interview with New Hampshire’s WMUR-TV, Trump called Joseph W. McQuaid, publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader, a “real low-life,” adding that “there’s no doubt about it,” after a page one editorial in the newspaper compared Trump to Biff Tannen, the villain in the Back to the Future movie franchise. From the Union Leader’s December 28 article:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and New Hampshire Union Leader Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid traded barbs Monday, after a page one editorial in the state’s largest newspaper likened Trump to Biff Tannen, the villain in the “Back to the Future” movie trilogy.

“He’s a real low-life, there’s no question about it,” Trump said about McQuaid, during an interview with WMUR-TV Political Director Josh McElveen ahead of an appearance Monday night in Nashua. [New Hampshire Union Leader, 12/28/15]

Sara Murray (CNN)

Trump Singled Out CNN’s Sara Murray At A Rally, Calling Her A “Total Novice Reporter.” CNN’s Sara Murray wrote an article about Trump’s “grudges with specific members of the media,” recounting how during November 2015 South Carolina rally, he called her “a total novice reporter” and “did an unflattering impression of [her] doing a live shoot”:

It was evident early on that Donald Trump was a different kind of candidate. He didn't just hold a grudge against the media -- a battle that's become the norm for Republican candidates. No, he held grudges with specific members of the media.

I got an early taste of it in November 2015 when Trump called me out by name at a rally in South Carolina. He referred to me as a “total novice reporter” and did an unflattering impression of me doing a live shot. The crowd followed his lead, turning around to taunt me. [CNN, 10/24/16]

Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC)

Trump Attacked Ratings Of MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, Said He “Would Rant And Rave About Me Like A Total Lunatic.” In his book, Trump categorized MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell as one of the “wannabe ‘journalists’ who are obsessed with protecting Obama, and ‘reporters’ who try to ride my coattails to make a name for themselves.” Trump called O’Donnell’s ratings “terrible” and said, “He would rant and rave about me like a total lunatic”:

What I don’t love are wannabe “journalists” who are obsessed with protecting Obama, and “reporters” who try to ride my coattails to make a name for themselves and compensate for their lack of talent. Take, for example, MSNBC. They have this guy called Lawrence O’Donnell whom I seldom watch (and neither does anybody else). His ratings are terrible. So bad, in fact, that they just moved him from the 8:00 p.m. time slot because Bill O’Reilly was absolutely killing him.

This O’Donnell guy’s hatred of me was absolutely laughable. He would rant and rave about me like a total lunatic. I don’t think he has a huge career in television— at least I would be very surprised. A year ago, he had strongly picked Tim Pawlenty to win the Republican nomination. Obviously, that turned out wrong. His media bookers, who are very nice, keep calling my office begging me to do his show. Our response is simple: I only do shows that get good ratings. I don’t want to waste my time. [Time To Get Tough: Make America Great Again!, 2011]

[Twitter, 6/25/15]

[Twitter, 7/16/15]

Bill O’Reilly (Fox News)

[Twitter, 1/28/15]

Trump Tells Bill O'Reilly To “Ask Your Psychiatrist” Why “You've Become Very Negative,” Adds “You Get A Little Bit Carried Away With Yourself.” In a March 3 interview with Bill O'Reilly on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, Trump told the Fox host that he had “become very negative,” prompting O'Reilly to ask “Why would I do that?” Trump continued, stating “You'll have to ask your psychiatrist, but I think you've become very negative,” adding “I think you get a little bit carried away with yourself”:

O'REILLY: Alright, now you getting mad at guys like me when I ask you the negative questions?

TRUMP: Well, no, I think you've become very negative, I do think that.

O'REILLY: Me? Why? Why would I do that?

TRUMP: I don't know, who knows. You'll have to ask your psychiatrist, but I think you've become very negative.

O'REILLY: Toward you?

TRUMP: Yeah. You know Melania, right?

O'REILLY: Yeah, the better half.

TRUMP: It's true.

O'REILLY: It's not even close. Well, but I want to get back to this.

TRUMP: And my boy Eric.

O'REILLY: I think I have been very fair to you, very fair.

TRUMP: You know, you've been fair, but I think you get a little bit carried away with yourself, frankly. And --

O'REILLY: Do you want to give me an example?

TRUMP: No, I'm not going to give you an example. [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 3/3/16]

[Twitter, 9/21/15]

Martha Raddatz (ABC News)

[Twitter, 6/21/15]

Jorge Ramos (Univision)

Trump Told Univision’s Jorge Ramos To “Go Back To Univision” And Called Him A “Very Emotional Person.” CBS News reported that Trump told Ramos to “go back to Univision” after the journalist “stood up and attempted to get in the first question” at a press conference. Trump’s security escorted Ramos out of the press event, after which Trump called Ramos a “very emotional person.” [CBSNews.com, 8/26/15]

Trump Published Ramos’ Phone Number On The Internet. Politico reported that Trump “published a photograph of a handwritten letter” from Ramos “that included the anchor’s personal cellphone number.” [Politico, 6/26/15 ]

Cokie Roberts (NPR)

[Twitter, 11/29/15]

Karl Rove (Fox News)

[Twitter, 12/5/12]

[Twitter, 11/25/15]

[Twitter, 12/12/15]

[Twitter, 2/24/16]

Jennifer Rubin (Wash. Post)

[Twitter, 12/1/15]

[Twitter, 12/4/15]

Joe Scarborough (MSNBC)

[Twitter, 5/6/16]

[Twitter, 8/10/16]

Ben Schreckinger (Politico)

[Twitter, 12/3/15]

Michael Smerconish (CNN)

[Twitter, 4/4/14]

Ben Smith (BuzzFeed News)

[Twitter, 2/18/14]

[Twitter, 2/18/14]

[Twitter, 2/19/14]

Shepard Smith (Fox News)

[Twitter, 11/13/15]

Chris Stirewalt (Fox News)

[Twitter, 10/15/15]

[Twitter, 11/6/15

Natasha Stoynoff (People)

Trump Suggests You Can't Believe Allegation He Sexually Assaulted People’s Natasha Stoynoff  Because She's Not Attractive. Trump suggested that the allegation that he sexually assaulted  People writer Natasha Stoynoff's isn't credible because she is not attractive, saying, “You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don't think so.” From an October 13 Trump campaign event:

DONALD TRUMP: Then there was a writer from People magazine who wrote a story on Melania and myself on our first anniversary. The story was beautiful. It was beautiful. It was lovely. But last night we hear that after 12 years -- this took place 12 years ago, this story -- a new claim that I made inappropriate advances during the interview to this writer. And I ask a very simple question. Why wasn't it part of the story that appeared 20, or 12 years ago? Why wasn't it part of the story? Why didn't they make it part of the story? I was one of the biggest stars on television with The Apprentice and it would have been one of the biggest stories of the year. Think of it. She's doing a story on Melania, who's pregnant at the time, and Donald Trump --our one-year anniversary. And she said I made inappropriate advances. And by the way, the area was a public area. People all over the place. Take a look. You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don't think so. I don't think so. [Media Matters, 10/12/16, 10/13/16

Marc Theissen (Fox News)

[Twitter, 10/15/15]

Chuck Todd (NBC News)

[Twitter, 10/8/12]

[Twitter, 8/9/13]

[Twitter, 8/9/13]

[Twitter, 7/12/15]

[Twitter, 12/25/15]

[Twitter, 3/6/16]

Katy Tur (NBC News)

[Twitter, 12/5/15]

[Twitter, 12/5/15]

Trump Called “Little Katy” A “Third-Rate Journalist.” According to Politico, Trump called out NBC News reporter Katy Tur during a rally in December, calling her “Little Katy, third-rate journalist.” Trump’s attack prompted his supporters to “point at her and boo”:

In December, Trump called out Tur in the middle of a rally, leading Trump supporters to point at her and boo. “Little Katy, third-rate journalist,” Trump said, as he complained about the news media. [Politico, 7/27/16]

Trump: Tur Is “Not A Very Good Reporter.” Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Trump told the co-hosts that his campaign wouldn’t let Tur into events “because she’s not a very good reporter.” From a September 27 Politico article:

This is far from the first time Trump has picked on Tur. In June, Trump told “Fox & Friends” that his campaign “don’t even let her in” or let people talk to her “because she’s not a very good reporter.” [Politico, 7/27/16]

Megan Twohey (NY Times)

Trump Called NY Times’ Megan Twohey A “Disgusting Human Being.” During an interview with The New York Times’ Megan Twohey regarding allegations that Trump sexually assaulted two women, Trump told Twohey she was “a disgusting human being” and threatened to sue the Times. From the October 12 article:

In a phone interview on Tuesday night, a highly agitated Mr. Trump denied every one of the women’s claims.

“None of this ever took place,” said Mr. Trump, who began shouting at the Times reporter who was questioning him. He said that The Times was making up the allegations to hurt him and that he would sue the news organization if it reported them.

“You are a disgusting human being,” he told the reporter as she questioned him about the women’s claims. [The New York Times10/12/16]

George Will (Wash. Post, Fox News)

Trump Called George Will A “Major Loser” On Morning Joe. Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Trump called Washington Post columnist and Fox News contributor George Will a “major loser.” Trump was responding to Will’s April 29 column, which was headlined “If Trump is nominated, the GOP must keep him out of the White House.” From a May 4 Politico article:

Conservative Washington Post columnist George Will is a “major loser,” Donald Trump said Wednesday.

Trump’s response follows Will’s April 29 column in the Post, headlined “If Trump is nominated, the GOP must keep him out of the White House.” Should Trump win the nomination, Will argued, conservatives should help him lose every state in the general election.

“Well, George is a major loser,” Trump told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” following a victory in Indiana that knocked out Ted Cruz, clearing the way for Trump to win the Republican nomination. “You know, he’s a dour guy. Nobody watches him. Very few people listen to him. It’s over for him, and I never want his support.”

Trump said Will has been writing anti-Trump columns since he announced his campaign last summer and suggested the political commentator is sour over his decision not to attend a speech he gave a decade ago in Mar-a-Lago, Trump's palatial Florida estate. [Politico, 5/4/16]

[Twitter, 6/26/16]

Jeff Zucker (CNN)

[Twitter, 9/9/16]

Media Outlets Attacked Or Criticized By Trump

The Republican presidential candidate has launched numerous attacks against both print and television media outlets and shows:

60 Minutes

[Twitter, 9/27/15]

ABC News

[Twitter, 8/21/15]

The Associated Press

[Twitter, 8/13/15]

Donald Trump Accused An AP Photographer Of Being “A Fucking Thief” For Taking A Photograph Of A Half-Full Trump Rally.

Donald Trump insisted on Thursday that photos showing his speaking to a half-empty South Carolina ballroom were unfair and told a skewed story.

'The room was full,' he told DailyMail.com exclusively.

'Everybody surged forward,' Trump explained. 'I was speaking from the podium. Everybody was wrapped around the podium. If they hadn't done that, there wouldn't have been an empty seat.'

[...]

'The photographer is a f***ing thief,' an exasperated Trump boomed in a telephone interview, referring to the Associated Press photojournalist who shot the initial picture. 'Tell them they're a fraud, whoever took it. I just got killed on that thing, and it was just really unfair. It's godd**n unfair.' [Daily Mail, 9/24/15]

[Twitter, 11/17/15]

[Twitter, 11/17/15]

[Twitter, 11/23/15]

BuzzFeed

Trump Campaign Adds BuzzFeed To “Media Blacklist.” CNN reported in June that Trump’s campaign added BuzzFeed to its “media blacklist” -- which also included The Des Moines Register, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, and Politico -- and denied press credentials to reporters. Trump aides told CNN that banning reporters is “a logical response” to “unfair treatment.” [CNN, 6/14/16]

[Twitter, 2/19/14]

CNN

[Twitter, 3/29/16]

[Twitter, 4/19/16]

[Twitter, 5/17/16]

[Twitter, 5/14/16]

[Twitter, 6/5/16]

[Twitter, 6/5/16]

[Twitter, 7/18/15]

[Twitter, 7/31/16]

[Twitter, 8/1/16]

[Twitter, 8/9/16]

[Twitter, 8/12/16]

[Twitter, 9/1/16]

[Twitter, 9/1/16]

[Twitter, 9/3/16]

[Twitter, 9/17/16]

Trump Calls CNN “A Disgrace,” Falsely Accuses CNN Of Rigging Post-Debate Focus Group. Trump falsely claimed during a campaign event that CNN “got caught trying to convince people ... [to] give a phony vote” in a post-debate focus group, something the network refuted. Trump then called CNN “a disgrace.” The crowd broke out into chants of “CNN sucks” chants after Trump attacked the “crooked media.” From an October 10 Trump campaign event:

DONALD TRUMP: And this crooked media. You talk about Crooked Hillary, they're worse than she is.

[CHANTS OF 'CNN SUCKS' IN CROWD]

TRUMP: I'm telling you. They are so dishonest. Without the media, without the media, Hillary Clinton couldn't be elected dog catcher. I mean that. It's true. It's true. Rudy [Giuliani] knows, I only tell the truth. I only tell the truth. They do focus groups after the debate. And we won every poll. We won -- did you see those polls? Every poll. 80-20, 90-10. I'd get a list, but we don't want to bore, but every poll. But CNN did a focus group. And by the way, Frank Luntz did a focus group and the focus group -- that one we liked, Frank Luntz, good guy -- 18 to four in favor of Trump, right? CNN did a focus group. Unfortunately, oh it's so sad. They got caught trying to convince people and find the right people so they could give a phony vote. CNN is a disgrace. Disgrace. Oh, they just turned off their camera. So funny, they just turned off their camera. I love it! I love it. Oh, these dishonest people. They're dishonest. [Right Side Broadcasting, YouTube, 10/10/16; Politico, 10/10/16]

[Twitter, 10/10/16

The Daily Beast

[Twitter, 7/29/15]

Deadspin

[Twitter, 1/18/13]

[Twitter, 1/18/13]

[Twitter, 1/18/13]

The Des Moines Register

Trump Denied Press Credentials To The Des Moines Register Over An Editorial Criticizing Him. According to The Des Moines Register, the paper was denied press credentials to a “family picnic” event with Trump due to an editorial calling on Trump to quit the Republican race. Former Trump national campaign manager Corey Lewandowski “told [Register political columnist Kathie] Obradovich in a phone call that the Register was being excluded from the event because of the editorial.” [The Des Moines Register, 7/24/15]

Fox News

[Twitter, 8/7/15]

[Twitter, 8/8/15]

[Twitter, 8/9/15]

[Twitter, 9/21/15]

[Twitter, 9/23/15]

[Twitter, 12/15/15]

[Twitter, 12/23/15]

[Twitter, 1/27/16]

[Twitter, 2/14/16]

[Twitter, 2/17/16]

[Twitter, 2/18/16]

[Twitter, 3/5/16]

[Twitter, 3/10/16]

The Huffington Post

Trump Campaign Places Huff. Post On “Media Blacklist.” CNN reported in June that Trump’s campaign added The Huffington Post to its “media blacklist” -- which also included The Des Moines Register, The Daily Beast, BuzzFeed, and Politico -- and denied press credentials to its political reporters. Trump aides told CNN that banning reporters is “a logical response” to “unfair treatment.” [CNN.com, 6/14/16]

National Review

[Twitter, 1/22/16]

[Twitter, 4/25/15]

[Twitter, 4/22/15]

[Twitter, 4/22/15]

[Twitter, 4/22/15]

New Hampshire Union Leader

Trump Bragged About Having New Hampshire Union Leader Removed As Co-Sponsor Of A Debate.

ABC News has dropped a New Hampshire newspaper that was going to co-sponsor an upcoming GOP debate, and Donald Trump is taking credit for the change.

“I am pleased to announce that I had the Union Leader removed,” Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon, shortly after ABC confirmed that it had “parted ways” with the Union Leader for the February 6 event.

The debate was always supposed to be led by ABC, and it will go on as planned. But Trump's claim highlights the complicated dynamic between the debate hosts and the debaters themselves.

The Union Leader's editorial page has been sharply critical of Trump for months, and Trump has returned fire. Furthermore, the newspaper has endorsed Chris Christie in the GOP primary, which Trump pointed out on Sunday. [CNN.com, 1/10/16]

New York Daily News

[Twitter, 6/17/15]

The New York Times

[Twitter, 11/25/15]

[Twitter, 11/25/15]

[Twitter, 12/24/15]

Trump Cited NY Times When Saying He Wants To “Open Up” Libel Laws To Make It Easier To Sue The Press. During a February campaign rally, Trump said, “We're going to open up those libel laws so when The New York Times writes a hit piece, which is a total disgrace, or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected,” according to CNN.com:

“One of the things I'm going to do if I win... I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money,” Trump said during a rally in Fort Worth, Texas.

“We're going to open up those libel laws so when The New York Times writes a hit piece, which is a total disgrace, or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected,” he said. “We're going to open up libel laws and we're going to have people sue you like you've never got sued before.” [CNN.com, 2/26/16]

[Twitter, 3/13/16]

[Twitter, 4/24/16]

[Twitter, 4/26/16]

[Twitter, 5/15/16]

[Twitter, 5/19/16]

[Twitter, 6/2/16]

[Twitter, 6/31/16]

[Twitter, 8/13/16]

[Twitter, 9/4/16]

[Twitter, 9/10/16]

[Twitter, 9/17/16]

[Twitter, 11/25/16]

Trump Threatens To Sue New York Times For Publishing Allegations Of Sexual Assault By Trump On Two Women. Trump said during an October 13 campaign rally that he is “preparing [a lawsuit] against” The New York Times in response to the Time's article detailing Trump's alleged sexual assault against two women. The night prior, Trump's lawyer sent the Times a letter demanding the paper retract its story. In response, the Times' assistant general counsel David McCraw replied that the paper will not retract its story because “We did what the law allows: We published newsworthy information about a subject of deep public concern,” and because a libel claim “is the protection of one's reputation,” which McCraw suggests Trump has already tarnished by his own previous actions. [CNN, Wolf, 10/13/16; Politico, 10/13/16]

Trump: “Third Rate” New York Times  Is “VileAnd “Fighting For Its Relevance And Its Financial Survival.” Trump attacked The New York Times for publishing articles detailing his alleged sexual assault, calling the paper “vile,” “third rate,” and “part of a concerted effort” to take him down. Trump continued that the Times “probably won't even be around in a few years based on its financial outlook. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if you want to know the truth.” From an October 13 campaign rally:

TRUMP: But The New York Times -- and this was a full op-ed piece -- refused to use the evidence that we presented. Refused to use it. If they used it, if they would have looked, they would have said, oh, there's no story here. Others in the media, which almost surprises me, because they're dishonest also, were presented with the story by this woman numerous times. And they got very excited. But after seeing the evidence that we immediately give them, all of them refuse to write the story. There was no story. The Times, though, didn't want to see it, they just wrote the story. And this was a full page opposite the editorials. This is part of a concerted effort led by The New York Times and others. Now, The New York Times is fighting desperately for its relevance and its financial survival. And it probably won't even be around in a few years based on its financial outlook. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if you want to know the truth. But as it winds down its years, and it's becoming more and more problematic. It's gotten more and more vicious. More and more vile. And even the other mainstream media is talking about the single greatest pile-on in history. And all between now and November 8th. And you have to see the stories they've written. It's one after another after another. And facts mean nothing. Third rate journalism. The great editors of the past from The New York Times and others, ladies and gentlemen, are spinning in their grave. [CNN, Wolf, 10/13/16

Politico

[Twitter, 8/22/15]

[Twitter, 9/24/15]

[Twitter, 9/24/15]

[Twitter, 10/7/15]

[Twitter, 10/8/15]

[Twitter, 10/29/15]

[Twitter, 10/31/15]

[Twitter, 10/31/15]

[Twitter, 12/3/15]

[Twitter, 3/11/16]

[Twitter, 4/5/16]

[Twitter, 10/7/15]

[Twitter, 9/24/15]

[Twitter, 10/25/12]

[Twitter 10/24/12]

Telemundo

Trump Tells Debate Moderator He Doesn’t “Believe Anything Telemundo Says.” The Hill reported that Trump told Telemundo host María Celeste Arrarás that he didn’t “believe anything Telemundo says” after Arrarás confronted him with poor polling numbers among Hispanic voters. [The Hill, 2/25/16]

Univision

Trump Sues Univision For $500 Million After Network Doesn’t Air Miss USA Pageant. Fortune Magazine reported Trump filed a lawsuit against Univision over its decision not to broadcast the 2016 Miss USA pageant on its network in response to racist statements Trump made about Mexicans during his campaign announcement. Trump filed the suit for $500 million but settled out of court. [Fortune, 2/11/16]

[Twitter, 6/26/15]

[Twitter, 6/26/15]

[Twitter, 7/11/15]

[Twitter, 7/16/15]

The View

[Twitter, 3/24/16]

[Twitter, 6/24/15]

The Wall Street Journal

[Twitter, 2/21/16]

The Washington Post

[Twitter, 12/7/15]

[Twitter, 12/7/15]

[Twitter, 12/23/15]

[Twitter, 1/22/16]

Trump Cited Wash. Post When Saying He Wants To “Open Up” Libel Laws To Make It Easier To Sue The Press. During a February campaign rally, Trump said, “We're going to open up those libel laws so when The New York Times writes a hit piece, which is a total disgrace, or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected,” according to CNN.com:

“One of the things I'm going to do if I win... I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money,” Trump said during a rally in Fort Worth, Texas.

“We're going to open up those libel laws so when The New York Times writes a hit piece, which is a total disgrace, or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected,” he said. “We're going to open up libel laws and we're going to have people sue you like you've never got sued before.” [CNN.com, 2/26/16]

Trump Revoked Wash. Post’s Press Credentials. On June 13, The Washington Post reported that the Trump campaign announced that it was “pulling The Washington Post’s credentials to cover his events because he is upset with the newspaper’s coverage of his campaign”:

Donald Trump said Monday that he is pulling The Washington Post’s credentials to cover his events because he is upset with the newspaper’s coverage of his campaign. The move puts the newspaper on a long list of media outlets that the presumptive Republican nominee has banned for reporting that displeased him.

“Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post,” read a post on Trump’s Facebook page. [The Washington Post, 6/13/16]

[Twitter, 6/13/16]

[Twitter, 6/26/16]

[Twitter, 8/22/16]

The Weekly Standard

[Twitter, 4/20/15]

General Attacks On The Media

Since 2011, Trump has fired off attacks against the media in general, accusing them of “dishonest reporting.”

December 2011

Trump Criticized The Press As “Brutal” For Its Coverage Of His Response To Obama’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner Jokes. After President Obama joked about Trump’s birther campaign and other conspiracies at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Trump attacked the “brutal” press in his book for saying he was “deeply embarrassed” by the jokes. Trump accused them of “distort[ing] the truth”:

In any event, as the president was telling joke after joke, I tapped my wonderful wife, Melania, on the knee and said under my breath, “Baby, do you believe this? This is amazing. The president of the United States is doing nothing but talking about me.” I loved it! I was having a great time! In fact, walking out of the ballroom, people were high-fiving me. They couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. It was a stellar night.

The next morning, I picked up the newspapers. The press was brutal. They said I was ridiculed, refused to smile, and was deeply embarrassed. I realized then and there that political life is not real life. The media can distort the truth, and everyone thinks that’s what really happened. I had a great time, but the press made it seem just the opposite. So for the record, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a real highlight for me, and I loved it immensely. [Time To Get Tough: Make America Great Again!, 2011]

September 2012

[Twitter, 9/13/12]

March 2013

[Twitter, 3/15/13]

April 2015

[Twitter, 4/20/15]

September 2015

[Twitter, 9/20/15]

December 2015

[Twitter, 12/23/15]

March 2016

Trump On The Press: “They're Scum. They're Horrible People. They Are So Illegitimate. … Some Of The People In The Press Are Honorable. But You’ve Got 50% Who Are Terrible People.’’ [USA Today, 3/10/16]

May 2016

[Twitter, 5/15/16]

June 2016

[Twitter, 6/1/16]

[Twitter, 6/9/16]

[Twitter, 6/28/16]

July 2016

[Twitter, 7/4/16]

[Twitter, 7/6/16]

[Twitter, 7/25/16]

[Twitter, 7/26/16]

[Twitter, 7/31/16]

August 2016

[Twitter, 8/6/16]

[Twitter, 8/7/16]

[Twitter, 8/12/16]

[Twitter, 8/14/16]

[Twitter, 8/14/16]

Trump: “Liberal Media Can’t Stop Telling Outrageous Lies About Me.” The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump campaign turned attacks on the media into a fundraising pitch. In an email “asking backers to contribute money,” Trump said that “‘the liberal media can’t stop telling outrageous lies about me’”:

The Trump campaign blamed setbacks on the media, turning that argument into a fundraising pitch. “You’ve seen it—the liberal media can’t stop telling outrageous lies about me,” Mr. Trump wrote in an email Friday asking backers to contribute money.

Mr. Trump has routinely called reporters “very bad people.” But over the weekend, he and his aides upped the volume. Saturday, he threatened to yank the campaign press credentials from the New York Times, the most-recent target of his ire over an article saying his campaign is in disarray. He tweeted that “it is not ‘freedom of the press’ when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!” [The Wall Street Journal, 8/14/16]

[Twitter, 8/23/16]

Journalists Attacked By Trump Fans

Trump surrogates and fans joined him in his war on the media, and multiple journalists have described hostile comments and attacks.

The Arizona Republic Newspaper Staff 

Trump Supporters “Boo And Bully” Members Of Newspaper At Arizona Rally. President of Arizona Republic Mi-Ai Parrish wrote that after the newspaper endorsed Hillary Clinton for president over Donald Trump, the paper received messages from Trump supporters telling her “YOU'RE DEAD. WATCH YOUR BACK,” and “YOU SHOULD BE PUT IN FRONT OF A FIRING SQUAD AS A TRAITOR.” Parrish wrote reporters received threats that they would “be blown up” and that Trump supporters claimed they hoped the paper would be “shut down, burned down” and “cease to exist under a new presidential administration.” [The Arizona Republic10/16/16]

Jeremy Diamond (CNN)

[Twitter, 9/17/16]

Kurt Eichenwald (Newsweek)

After Reporting On Trump’s Potential Conflicts Of Interest As President, Trump Supporter Sent Eichenwald A Video Intended To Trigger Seizures. After Newsweek’s Kurt Eichenwald wrote an article highlighting how “Trump’s business interests could undermine national security should he be elected president,” one Trump supporter tweeted at Eichenwald, who has epilepsy, a video of “some sort of strobe light, with flashing circles.” According to Eichenwald, the video was “what’s called epileptogenic -- something that triggers seizures.” Eichenwald also wrote about the “innumerable death threats” he’s received from Trump supporters as well as the names he’s been called including, “kike,” “Jew,” “fag,” and “nigger-lover.” From Eichenwald’s October 7 article:

A couple of weeks later, after my article about how Trump’s business interests would create a conflict of unprecedented proportions, I received a tweet from someone with the twitter handle “Mike's Deplorable AF.” Like many Trump supporters, he has chosen to identify himself as deplorable to mock the label once used by Clinton to describe the racists, neo-Nazis, homophobes and like who have crawled out of the sewer to cheer for the Republican nominee. Mike, however, is indeed deplorable.

In his tweet, which has since been deleted, Mike made mention of my seizures and included a small video. It contained images of Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character that has been identified by the Anti-Defamation League as a hate symbol. I was carrying my iPad, looking at the still image on the video and, without thinking, touched the PLAY button.

The video was some sort of strobe light, with flashing circles and images of Pepe flying toward the screen. It’s what’s called epileptogenic—something that triggers seizures. Fortunately, since I was standing, I simply dropped my iPad to the ground the second I realized what Mike had done. It landed face down on the bathroom floor.

The deplorables are real. The deplorables are dangerous.

Because I have written critically about Trump, I have received innumerable death threats, sometimes just general invocations that I should die, sometimes more specific threats that I should be shot or “lynched,” as one Trump fan wrote. I have been called “kike,” “Jew” and “anti-American Zionist,” even though I’m Episcopalian with a Jewish father (as if that makes a difference). I have received video cartoons that look like they are from Nazi Germany of hook-nosed men dressed in Jewish garb rubbing their hands greedily over piles of money. I have been told to go back where I came from, whatever that means. I have been called “fag,” “pedo,” and once—in an email that made no sense—“nigger-lover.” One Trump fan mentioned he knew which schools my children attended, and correctly named them. Topping it off, some Trump fans have even gone after one of my sons online, although he knew enough to immediately block them. [Newsweek, 10/7/16]

Erick Erickson (The Resurgent)

The Daily Beast: Former RedState Editor-In-Chief Erick Erickson And “Prominent Trump Detractor” Has Been Victimized By Breitbart And Anonymous Strangers. Conservative radio host Erick Erickson, a prominent Trump detractor, “has been the target of unpleasant and occasionally threatening communications from anonymous Trump enthusiasts.” According to a Daily Beast report:

Erickson says that in the wake of Breitbart News stories concerning his anti-Trump statements and actions, he and his family have been victimized by a torrent of abuse from anonymous strangers—not only online, but via letters in his mailbox, phone calls to his home, and worse, prompting the occasional complaint to law enforcement authorities.

[...]

Shortly after Erickson issued his condemnation of the candidate, he was featured in an Aug. 11 Breitbart story that led with Trump’s tweet calling him “a major sleaze and buffoon who has saved me time and money.”

[...]

“Somehow or other, our address got out there,” Erickson says, “and for awhile, my wife and I have had to have our mail screened and won’t let the kids get the mail. It’s pretty nasty, angry mail, more unhinged than I expected, with vulgarities written on the outside of the envelope. ‘Fuck you,’ ‘Go to hell,’ that kind of thing.” [The Daily Beast, 3/1/16]

David Fahrenthold (Wash. Post)

Following David Fahrenthold’s Reporting On Discrepancies In Trump’s Charitable Contributions, Trump’s Campaign Called The Reporter “Biased.” The Trump campaign criticized The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold, saying his reporting “is peppered with inaccuracies and omissions” and calling him “a biased reporter.” From a Mediaite report:

This is the statement Team Trump released in response:

In typical Washington Post fashion, they’ve gotten their facts wrong. It is the Clinton Foundation that is set up to make sure the Clintons personally enrich themselves by selling access and trading political favors. The Trump Foundation has no paid board, no management fees, no rent or overhead, and no family members on its payroll.

There was not, and could not be, any intent or motive for the Trump Foundation to make improper payments. All contributions are reported to the IRS, and all Foundation donations are publicly disclosed. Mr. Trump is generous both with his money and with his time. He has provided millions of dollars to fund his Foundation and a multitude of other charitable causes.

The Post’s reporting is peppered with inaccuracies and omissions from a biased reporter who is clearly intent on distracting attention away from the corrupt Clinton Foundation, a vehicle for the Clintons to peddle influence at the expense of the American people. Mr. Trump personally and the Trump Foundation, however, are staying focused on their charitable giving to veterans, the police, children and other deserving recipients. [Mediaite, 9/20/16]

Jeffrey Goldberg (The Atlantic)

[Twitter, 5/19/16]

Henry Gomez (Cleveland.com)

Henry Gomez: “Readers Have Told Me I Should Be ‘On The Other Side Of The Wall’.” Cleveland.com writer Henry Gomez wrote that “Donald Trump fans have been sending … racist, hateful messages for months.” Gomez published a sampling of the emails he’s received from Trump supporters, which ranged from saying he should be “on the other side of the wall” to claiming Gomez’s background “disqualif[ies]” him from covering the election. From a September 12 Cleveland.com article:

For 15 years, my ethnic last name has appeared above all of my stories. Which means, for 15 years, some readers have judged me only by that ethnic last name.

I have heard their voice mails and read their emails. Smirked at their keyboard courage in the comments section. Told myself not to take the Twitter mentions too personally.

[...]

Maybe you don't believe Donald Trump is a bigot. Or a racist. Or a xenophobe. But the Republican nominee for president certainly has won the support of people who are.

[...]

I don't think it's a coincidence that, recently, readers have told me I should be “on the other side of the wall” and that my background should “disqualify” me from covering this election. Some observers have suggested the Trump candidacy is like an online comments section come to life. But this was different. These came via email. From people using their real names.

I realize I am far from the only person whose ethnicity or race has become a focal point for a few critics. I don't want to trivialize the reprehensible prejudice many other minorities endure.

It strikes me, though, that Trump, whether he means to or not, has fostered a hostile moment in our politics when his supporters feel entitled to racially denigrate others.

Sadly, simply being a Gomez is enough to make you a target. [Cleveland.com, 9/12/16]

Julia Ioffe (Politico)

Trump Supporters Unleashed “Torrent Of Antisemitic, Vitriolic and Threatening Messages” Against Julia Ioffe, A Journalist Who Profiled Melania Trump. The Guardian reported that Julia Ioffe received “a torrent of antisemitic, vitriolic and threatening messages” from Trump supporters in response to her profile of Melania Trump in which she revealed that Melania “has a half-brother who the family was not in contact with.” From The Guardian’s report:

In the 24 hours since her profile of Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, appeared in GQ magazine, the Russian-American journalist has received a torrent of antisemitic, vitriolic and threatening messages from supporters of the Republican frontrunner.

[...]

On Thursday, Ioffe answered a phone call from an anonymous caller who played a Hitler speech. She received another call from “Overnight Caskets”. On Twitter, users posted photos of her face superimposed on a mug shot from Auschwitz. The Daily Stormer, a white supremacist site, attacked Ioffe in a blogpost titled: “Empress Melania Attacked by Filthy Russian Kike Julia Ioffe in GQ!”

[...]

Ioffe worked as a reporter in Moscow for three years. During this period, she experienced antisemitism and witnessed colleagues receive bouquets of funeral flowers at work. But never as a journalist working in the US. [Twitter, 4/28/16; The Guardian, 4/28/16]

Bethany Mandel (The Federalist)

Conservative Essayist Bethany S. Mandel Has Been “Awash In a Deluge Of Social Media Abuse” From Trump Supporters And Breitbart Fans. The Daily Beast reported that conservative essayist Bethany S. Mandel has been receiving “a fusillade of vile, anti-Semitic tweets and Facebook messages” since she began “denouncing Donald Trump” and “tangl[ing] with Breitbart News,” including a tweet from an “apparent Trump fan” saying, “You deserve the oven.” From The Daily Beast’s report:

Conservative essayist Bethany S. Mandel, who has been awash in a deluge of social media abuse since she began denouncing Donald Trump, finally purchased a handgun over the weekend.

“It’s a .22 magnum revolver,” says Mandel, the mother of two young children, who applied for a firearms permit at her local suburban police department after absorbing a fusillade of vile, anti-Semitic tweets and Facebook messages in recent months.

[...]

The 29-year-old Mandel, who writes for The Federalist, a conservative/libertarian website that often inveighs against Trump, is a pugnacious online presence who frequently crosses swords with self-avowed acolytes of the Republican presidential frontrunner.

She has especially tangled with Breitbart News, the rabble-rousing, Trump-friendly website—named for its late founder, culture warrior Andrew Breitbart—that regularly savages the GOP establishment, the media elite, the Washington consultant class, and the Fox News Channel, which it likes to portray as the willing enabler of all these sinister forces.

[...]

Yet one can hardly fault Mandel’s feelings of vulnerability. Typical online insults (screenshots of which she provided to The Daily Beast) included “you deserve the oven,” complete with the image of a Domino’s Pizza oven—this from an apparent Trump fan who goes by the Twitter handle @dinguscout.

After Mandel observed: “Another night blocking all the anti-Semites who are helping Trump make American[sic] great again,” a second apparent Trump supporter, @unusr1, tweeted at her: “Missed one, you slimy Jewess.”

[...]

Mandel has disregarded the recent warning of a Trump fan with the Twitter handle @johnny-nimble.

“Never fuck with Breitbart. Ever,” @johnny-nimble cautioned.

This pseudonymous tweeter had earlier answered Mandel’s observation—“I never received so many anti-Semitic tweets since Trump’s rise. Not even when I tweeted about Israel during wars”—with the vow: “Ain’t seen nothing yet.” [The Daily Beast, 3/1/16]

Olivia Nuzzi (The Daily Beast)

Olivia Nuzzi: “A Republican Candidate” And Trump Supporter Replied To A Critical Facebook Post I Wrote About Trump And “Said He Hoped I Got Raped.” According to a September 6 article by The Daily Beast’s Olivia Nuzzi, a Trump supporter replied to a critical Facebook post of hers by saying he “hoped” that “Somebody. Rapes” Nuzzi. Nuzzi added that “Trump fans like Krawitz have their own vocabulary altogether, as a quick glance at my Twitter mentions will show you”:

A few minutes later I received a familiar notification: Mike Krawitz, a Republican candidate for the West Deptford, New Jersey, township committee, had left three comments on the post.

“Bill. Clinton. Cheated. On. Hillary. :). With. Multiple. Women,” he said.

“Fuck. You. Olivia, I. Hope. Somebody. Rapes. You. Today. :)

“Hope. You. Get. Raped. By. A. Syrian. Refugee. :)”

I should stop here to explain that my Facebook page is a cesspool of trolls and similar lifeforms who respond to everything I say with vitriol. I use Facebook as a means to share my stories, and so I keep it public, rarely posting things of a personal nature there.

[...]

Trump fans like Krawitz have their own vocabulary altogether, as a quick glance at my Twitter mentions will show you. It’s difficult for me to say what kind of reaction I would’ve received if I’d been writing about Democrats. For all the talk about Bernie Bros, I can only remember receiving one message from an aggrieved Sanders fan. [The Daily Beast, 9/6/16]

Jorge Ramos (Univision)

A Trump Supporter Told Univision’s Jorge Ramos To “Get Out Of My Country.” After Trump threw Ramos out of a press conference, a Trump supporter approached Ramos, a U.S. citizen, outside the press conference and told him to “get out of my country”:

A Donald Trump supporter put his ignorance on full display Tuesday, telling Univision journalist Jorge Ramos, a U.S. citizen, to “get out of my country.”

Trump threw Ramos out of his press conference Tuesday afternoon after Ramos attempted to ask a question without being called on. Ramos, a popular and respected Spanish-language anchor, was trying to ask the reality TV host and GOP presidential candidate about his plan to deport all undocumented immigrants. Trump told Ramos to “go back to Univision.”

"This guy stands up and starts screaming,” Trump added. “He’s obviously a very emotional person.”

Univision later posted video of what happened after Ramos was escorted into the hall by security: A Trump supporter confronted him and said, “You were very rude. It’s not about you. Get out of my country.” [The Huffington Post, 8/26/16]

Max Rosenthal (Mother Jones)

“Have You Seen Your Ratface In The Mirror, Jewboy?”: Mother Jones’ Max Rosenthal Received Anti-Semitic Material From Trump Supporters. In a Facebook post, Mother Jones reporter Max Rosenthal shared images of anti-Semitic messages Trump supporters sent him, including messages asking Rosenthal if he has “seen [his] ratface in the mirror, Jewboy?” and threatening to “gas you, your family, and turn you into lampshades.” In a tweet, one Trump supporter asked Rosenthal, “How bout an oven?” [Facebook.com, 10/5/16]

Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)

Ben Shapiro: “I Have Never Received The Amount Of Anti-Semitic Hate I Currently Do Each Day For The Crime Of Criticizing The Great Trump.” Conservative political commentator and former Breitbart reporter Ben Shapiro said he has “never received the the amount of anti-Semitic hate [he] currently do[es] each day for the crime of criticizing The Great Trump.” Among the media figures he lists are “Bethany Mandel, another orthodox Jew who opposes Trump,” CNN host Jake Tapper, and Commentary’s John Podhoretz and Noah Rothman. From the March 1 Daily Wire article (emphasis original):

I have criticized President Obama in blunt fashion; I have defended Israel’s right to self-defense against the Palestinians consistently; I have bashed Ron Paul. I have never received the amount of anti-Semitic hate I currently do each day for the crime of criticizing The Great Trump.

[...]

The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi site with an entire vertical labeled “Jewish Problem” and another labeled “Race War,” has dedicated article after article to little old “Christ-Killing Kike Shapiro,” complete with pasted-on Nazi-style Jewish star. 4chan is chock full of threads questioning my ethnicity and my evil Jewish plans for world domination – all of which involve stopping Trump.

It’s not just me, of course. Jake Tapper of CNN now says he’s received anti-Semitic tweets “all day.” My friend Bethany Mandel, another orthodox Jew who opposes Trump, just bought herself a gun out of fear of unhinged Trump supporters. John Podhoretz of Commentary says he receives tweets consistently from “literally neo-Nazi White supremacists, all anonymous…I don’t think I can attribute being a supporter of Trump to being a validator or an expresser of these opinions, but something was let loose by him.” Noah Rothman of Commentary tweets, “It never ends. Blocking doesn’t help either. They have lists, on which I seem to find myself.” [The Daily Wire, 3/1/16]

Gabriel Sherman (New York magazine)

[Twitter, 4/4/16]

Sam Stein (Huff. Post)

[Twitter, 9/20/16]

Katy Tur (NBC)

Katy Tur: “The Wave Of Insults, Harassment, And Threats” From Trump Supporters Hasn’t Stopped. In an essay she published in Marie Claire, Katy Tur, an NBC journalist covering the Trump campaign, chronicled an incident in which Trump personally attacked her in a speech in Mount Pleasant, SC, adding, “The wave of insults, harassment, and threats, via various social-media feeds, hasn't stopped since. Many of the attacks are unprintable.” From the August 10 article (emphasis original):

It's unlikely, however, that any of Trump's future attacks will be as scary as what happened in Mount Pleasant, where the crowd, feeding off Trump, seemed to turn on me like a large animal, angry and unchained.

It wasn't until hours later, when Secret Service took the extraordinary step of walking me to my car, that the incident sank in.

The wave of insults, harassment, and threats, via various social-media feeds, hasn't stopped since. Many of the attacks are unprintable.

“MAYBE A FEW JOURNALISTS DO NEED TO BE WHACKED,” tweeted someone with the handle GuyScott33, two weeks after Trump lashed out. “MAYBE THEN THEYD STOP BEI[N]G BIASED HACKS. KILL EM ALL STARTING W/ KATY TUR.” [Marie Claire, 8/10/16]

Chris Wallace (Fox Broadcasting)

Trump: Chris Wallace “Is Only A Tiny Fraction” Of His Father. According to a Daily Beast report, Trump demeaned Fox host Chris Wallace “with an invidious comparison to his famous father.” Trump said, “The great Mike Wallace was a friend of mine … And the son is only a tiny fraction of Mike.” From the report:

“The great Mike Wallace was a friend of mine,” Trump told Lemon, referring to the 60 Minutes star. “And the son is only a tiny fraction of Mike, believe me. There’s a big difference between Mike Wallace and Chris Wallace, because I watched him last night—you know, blood pouring out of his eyes, too.”

“It’s not personal,” Wallace said, although Trump’s invective sounded uncomfortably personal. “You understand that they’re doing it because they think they’ll win some support. No politician ever got in trouble for attacking a reporter. But does it feel good? Not at the moment it’s happening.” [The Daily Beast, 1/26/16]

Jonathan Weisman (NY Times)

ThinkProgress: NY Times Editor Received “Rash Of Anti-Semitic Tweets” For Critical Opinion Piece About Trump. ThinkProgress reported that after New York Times editor Jonathan Weisman posted “an opinion piece critical of Trump,” he “received a rash of anti-Semitic tweets” that included ““anti-Jewish slurs and threatening retribution.” From the report:

A similar fate befell New York Times editor Jonathan Weisman earlier this month, who reportedly received a rash of anti-Semitic tweets simply for posting an opinion piece critical of Trump entitled “This is how fascism comes to America.” Weisman was promptly “outed” as Jewish by Twitter user “CyberTrump,” and others soon began tweeting anti-Jewish slurs and threatening retribution. [ThinkProgress, 5/26/16]

[Twitter, 5/19/16]

Reporters Embedded In The Trump Campaign (Various Outlets)

Trump Campaign Manager Kellyanne Conway: Trump Campaign Embeds “Are Not Profiles In Courage” And “Just Slander” Trump. Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway attacked the reporters who are embedded with the Trump campaign, telling the hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe that the campaign embeds are not objective reporters and what they do “is not journalism,” rather they “just slander [Trump] on Twitter.” Referencing a printout of tweets from campaign embeds, Conway said that “92 percent of at least two of our embed’s tweets are negative towards Donald Trump”:

KELLYANNE CONWAY: What I would ask you all to do is start looking at the Twitter feeds of, quote, “objective reporters,” particularly our embeds. These are not profiles in courage, and this is not journalism. There are people who cover our campaign who actually just slander our candidate on Twitter. Ninety-two percent of one of them, I have them all on my desk, we printed them all out. Ninety-two percent of at least two of our embed’s tweets are negative towards Donald Trump. Why are they on our campaign plane? Why are they covering our campaign if they can't say hey look at this crowd, look at the RSVPs of 32,000 people in Ft. Myers, FL, last Monday and the place only held 8,500. Hey look at the rise in the polls. They have none of the polling stories that you are covering responsibly on your show. So, excuse the Trump campaign if we feel like we can't get a fair shake from certain people.  [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 9/26/16]