President Donald Trump took to Twitter late Tuesday afternon to complain about “fiction writers” at cable networks and “dying magazines and newspapers.” He also preemptively shifted blame to Democrats for “any rise in ObamaCare premiums.”
“So much Fake News being put in dying magazines and newspapers,” Trump tweeted. “Only place worse may be @NBCNews, @CBSNews, @ABC and @CNN. Fiction writers!”
So much Fake News being put in dying magazines and newspapers. Only place worse may be @NBCNews, @CBSNews, @ABC and @CNN. Fiction writers!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2017
It was unclear whether Trump was referring to any particular report of a number published recently that seemed likely to draw his ire.
The New Yorker on Tuesday said it stands by a report that Trump joked that Vice President Mike Pence wants to “hang” all gay people and mocked Pence for his religious observance, despite the White House’s denial.
Forbes on Tuesday called Trump “the most notable loser” on its “Richest Americans” list, estimating that his net worth fell $600 million since last year. CNN host Brian Stelter noted that the network also discussed the Forbes report.
This tweet came moments after @CNNSitRoom discussed the new Forbes magazine list showing Trump’s net worth ⬇️ $600 million last year… https://t.co/DI8TuTBTW2
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 17, 2017
Trump on Tuesday also said “any increase” in insurance premiums would be “the fault of the Democrats for giving us a ‘product’ that never had a chance of working.”
Any increase in ObamaCare premiums is the fault of the Democrats for giving us a "product" that never had a chance of working.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2017
Trump on Monday began preemptively scapegoating Democrats for any turmoil in the insurance market caused by his own decision to end cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurers.
“I think the Democrats will be blamed for the mess. This is an Obamacare mess,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting. “When the premiums go up, that has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that we had poor health care delivered poorly, written poorly, approved by the Democrats.”
