Trump’s Shocked “Fake News Awards” Take on the Media
Late last week, President Donald Trump decided to spice up his media attacks by announcing the winners of his so‑called “Fake News Awards.” The announcement came just hours after Senator Jeff Flake, a fellow Republican, launched a scathing critique of Trump’s calling the press “enemy of the people.”
The Big Reveal
Trump gave the press list on Twitter, pointing to a page on the Republican Party’s site that crashed almost immediately after the tweet went live. The tweet looked something like this:
- “We’re handing out the top awards for the worst coverage of the presidency.”
Who Got “Awarded”?
As expected, the honorees were prime targets: CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post all made the list. The “favorite” was Paul Krugman, the Nobel‑prize economist who writes for the Times.
Trump praised Krugman for his “loud, erratic voice” that, in his eyes, “faded the day I won” and for warning that the economy would never bounce back.
Another Controversial Woman
Former reality star Brian Ross from ABC was also on the roster. The reporter faced a four‑week pay cut after a mistake in his coverage of former aide Michael Flynn, which Trump said was “tasteless.”
Trump’s Counter‑Tweet
Despite the gloom, the president had a silver lining: “There are still great reporters I respect, and so much news that makes us proud.” He went on to say, “Together we can beat even the most biased media, because we’re MAGA.”
Senator Flake’s One‑liner
Back in the morning, Jeff Flake slammed the president for allegedly putting the truth “in danger” and for labeling the mainstream press a “danger to democracy.”
In short: the fake awards received a quick reflex from the press, the critics, and the rest of the political world. Trump’s brand of satire keeps the headlines going—whether that’s worse for the media or better for his brand, only time will say.
