President Trump spent his morning repeatedly lashing out at the media, including a New York Times columnist who was critical of Republicans for not taking action against Trump following the release of the special counsel’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
In a barrage of morning tweets, Trump claimed that the columnist, Paul Krugman, was “obsessed with hatred” and demanded a “big” apology from the Times. He also complained that the “Mainstream Media” was not giving him sufficient credit for the economy.
In a piece published Tuesday, Krugman said the report by Robert Mueller showed that Russia intervened in the 2016 presidential election, that Trump’s campaign was aware of the intervention and welcomed it, and that Trump later tried to block an inquiry into what happened.
“The fact is that the occupant of the White House betrayed his country,” wrote Krugman. He also accused the GOP of “selling out” for tax cuts for the wealthy and characterized Trump as “a would-be authoritarian who was unfit morally, temperamentally and intellectually for high office.”
Trump lashed out in his first tweet:
Paul Krugman, of the Fake News New York Times, has lost all credibility, as has the Times itself, with his false and highly inaccurate writings on me. He is obsessed with hatred, just as others are obsessed with how stupid he is. He said Market would crash, Only Record Highs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
Trump then repeated a false claim that the Times apologized to him for its 2016 election coverage, and he suggested that the paper should do so again.
I wonder if the New York Times will apologize to me a second time, as they did after the 2016 Election. But this one will have to be a far bigger & better apology. On this one they will have to get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness-they are truly the Enemy of the People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
Trump has fired off dozens of tweets in recent days in response to the Mueller report, which did not find sufficient evidence for charges of criminal conspiracy with Russia and did not offer a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice.
Attorney General William Barr later concluded that there was not sufficient evidence for obstruction of justice, but House Democrats are continuing to pursue that issue.
In other tweets this morning, Trump asserted that “Radical Left Democrats” and the “Fake News Media” have gone “totally insane” and that previous presidents have been “basically immune from criticism” when the economy was doing well.
The Radical Left Democrats, together with their leaders in the Fake News Media, have gone totally insane! I guess that means that the Republican agenda is working. Stay tuned for more!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
In the “old days” if you were President and you had a good economy, you were basically immune from criticism. Remember, “It’s the economy stupid.” Today I have, as President, perhaps the greatest economy in history…and to the Mainstream Media, it means NOTHING. But it will!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
Trump offered an exception in his criticism of the media, calling “Fox & Friends” on Fox News “by far the best of the morning political shows on television.”
He subsequently criticized the shows and hosts on rival networks, including Joe Scarborough of MSNBC, whom he branded “Pyscho (Joe).”
Sorry to say but @foxandfriends is by far the best of the morning political shows on television. It rightfully has BY FAR the highest ratings, not even close. Morning Psycho (Joe), who helped get me elected in 2016 by having me on (free) all the time, has nosedived, too Angry…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
….Dumb and Sick. A really bad show with low ratings – and will only get worse. CNN has been a proven and long term ratings and beyond disaster. In fact, it rewarded Chris Cuomo with a now unsuccessful prime time slot, despite his massive failure in the morning. Only on CNN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2019
Soon after, Scarborough playfully embraced the term on air, talking about Trump’s tweets with a chyron that read: “Morning Psycho Responds To Faithful Viewer.”
Social media took note of Trump’s twitter rampage, many wondering if the president doesn’t have more important things to do each day.
These were before 7am Eastern. We all know who the "Morning Psycho" is, @realDonaldTrump, and it ain't @JoeNBC. pic.twitter.com/G8eAUV7jvx
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) April 23, 2019