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John Wagner
National journalist heads up the political press team at The Post newspaper
President Trump on Thursday accused the media of blaming the nation's incivility, as suspicious packages sent by an alleged kamikaze continued to target Trump's harsh criticism.
"A very big part of the anger we see today in our society is caused by the deliberately false and inaccurate reporting of the mainstream media that I call false news," the president said in a morning tweet. "It's become so heinous and hateful that it's beyond description. Mainstream Media has to put order in its business, FAST! "
Trump's tweet – which sparked strong criticism from the Democrats – was sent amidst police reports in New York that was swarming a block in Lower Manhattan after receiving information about a suspicious package in a newspaper. building where the actor Robert De Niro had offices. The package was sent to De Niro, who attacked Trump in June at a secular presentation at the Tony Awards.
Investigators later found in a Delaware mail center a package addressed to former vice president Joe Biden that resembled the other homemade bombs discovered this week, according to a law enforcement official. .
Trump also targeted the media Wednesday night at a political rally in central Wisconsin after sending a series of homemade bombs to the former US Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and other people.
During the rally, Trump was relatively moderate, stopping several times to indicate that he was "trying to be nice" and did not assume any responsibility for his role in the country's degraded civic discourse.
[Mail bomb investigation intensifies as suspicious package removed from Robert De Niro’s building]
"The media also has the responsibility to give a civil tone and end the endless hostility and constant – and often false – negative attacks – and their stories," Trump told the rally.
In an apparent move against the Democrats, Trump also denounced those who "carelessly compare political opponents to historical villains" and who "mobilize people in public places or destroy public property".
The president has long made the media a target of his anger, denouncing journalists as "the enemy of the people".
Suspicious package targets in recent days have also been ridiculed by Trump. After De Niro attacked him in June, Trump fought back on Twitter, calling him "a person with a low IQ" who "took too many shots at the head of real boxers in the movies."
One of the undetected devices was found Wednesday at CNN headquarters in New York. It was addressed to John O. Brennan, former director of the CIA. Since he's left the government, he's a virulent critic of Trump. He is an on-air analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, rather than for CNN.
On Thursday, Brennan responded to Trump's tweet with a scathing tweet.
"Stop blaming others," said Brennan. "Look in the mirror, your incendiary rhetoric, your insults, your lies and your encouragement of physical violence are outrageous Clean up your act … try to act presidential.The American people deserve a lot better." BTW, your critics will not be intimidated by the silence. "
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Also condemned the president's tweet.
"Get up, America," he said on Twitter. "The President of the United States now accuses the assassination attempt of Democrats from having criticized it by the press. I did not think that his narcissism could sink into this ugly place. But that's it.
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) Congratulated Trump for calling for unity in his remarks on homemade bombs in the White House on Wednesday afternoon. But Van Hollen said the moment was "fugitive".
On Wednesday night, "he was at a rally blaming everyone, but to himself, this toxic political environment in which we find ourselves," Van Hollen said in an interview with CNN.
"Everyone has to do their part here," Van Hollen said. "When the president went to the rally last night, he did not do his part."
During an interview Thursday morning at Fox News, Sarah Sanders, press officer at the White House, pointed out that Trump had condemned the acts of the alleged kamikaze and that it "could not have been more presidential "in tackling the crisis on Wednesday.
Sanders asked a Fox News host if Trump could "make an extra effort" to spark more civil politics, and said, "Look, the president did just that last night.
She argued that Trump had an obligation as president to emphasize the policy differences between the two main political parties.
"There is a major political and philosophical difference between Democrats and Republicans, and there is nothing stopping us from pointing out these differences," said Sanders. "There is something wrong with bringing this to a point of violence.
Sanders also rejected the scathing statement by CNN World President Jeff Zucker just hours after the package sent to Brennan led to the evacuation of Time Warner Center network staff in Manhattan.
"There is a complete and complete lack of understanding in the White House as to the seriousness of the continuation of their attacks on the media," Zucker said. "The president, and in particular the White House press secretary, should understand that their words matter. Until then, they have not shown any understanding of this. "
On Thursday, Sanders stated that she found "absolutely shameful that one of CNN's first public statements yesterday was to blame and hold this heinous act accountable to the President and myself when the person who is at it responsible". is the person who created and put these suspicious packets in the hands and in the arms of innocent American citizens. "
Josh Dawsey and Felicia Sonmez contributed to this report.
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