President Donald Trump lashed out at the media again Sunday night.
Only this time, Trump directed his unhappiness at Fox News, singling out a pair of reporters from his seemingly favorite news outlet for their coverage of the border wall and recent partial government shutdown, assessing that John Roberts and Gillian Turner have “less understanding” than “fake news” reporters from other media organizations.
“Never thought I’d say this but I think @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner @FoxNews have even less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC!” Trump tweeted.
In the same tweet, Trump also referenced a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll for the second time in less than a week that shows his approval rating among Latino voters at 50 percent, up from 31 percent a month ago: “Look to final results! Don’t know how my poll numbers are so good, especially up 19% with Hispanics?”
Trump’s overall approval rating in the poll was at 39 percent
In a second tweet, Trump added: “After all that I have done for the Military, our great Veterans, Judges (99), Justices (2), Tax & Regulation Cuts, the Economy, Energy, Trade & MUCH MORE, does anybody really think I won’t build the WALL? Done more in first two years than any President! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
While Trump has often criticized the press, both during his presidential campaign and in his first two years in the Oval Office, Fox News has been spared from his claims of “fake news.”
Trump has often granted interviews to Fox News personalities including Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Jeanine Pirro and the hosts of Fox & Friends. During one of his final rallies leading to the 2018 midterm election,
Trump invited Hannity and Pirro on stage for speaking roles.
Roberts and Turner both appeared on this week’s Fox News Sunday show, with Roberts hosting and Turner serving as a panelist.
Since agreeing to a deal Friday to end
the longest government shutdown in U.S. history – at least for three weeks –
Trump has faced backlash from some conservatives who believe he lost his first staredown with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Among them, Ann Coulter, who took to Twitter on Friday to voice her displeasure.
“Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States,” Ann Coulter quipped on Twitter.
Later, Coulter criticized Trump again on “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO, telling the show’s host that she expected Trump “to keep a promise he made every day for 18 months.”
“OK, I’m a very stupid girl, fine,” Coulter told Maher.
In an
exclusive interview Sunday with The Wall Street Journal during which he expressed skepticism for a border wall deal that would meet his approval before government funding runs dry again on Feb. 15, Trump dismissed Coulter’s criticism.
“I hear she’s become very hostile,” Trump said. “Maybe I didn’t return her phone call or something.”
While placing the odds at “less than 50-50” for a border wall-funding deal, Trump said another shutdown is “certainly an option” and said he wouldn’t likely accept less than his requested $5.7 billion in this round of negotiations.