President Donald Trump escalated his public conflict with the media, launching a late-night tirade on social media targeting reporters and organizations that cover him. The attacks followed the White House's decision over the weekend to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from accessing the premises, and to deactivate their journalists' press credentials.
In a post on Truth Social late Tuesday, Trump singled out CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, questioning her presence at the United Nations to cover the General Assembly. "All of the SLEAZEBAGS, like Third Rate ‘Reporter,’ Kaitlan Collins, of Fake News CNN, a truly unhappy person, said they weren’t going to be covering me. Then why were they ranting and raving like Lunatics, in the Press Area, at the United Nations? Why was she there?" Trump wrote.
He further characterized Collins, CNN, and MSNBC as "sick, treasonous, and demented!" Although no news organizations had publicly stated they would cease coverage, TV pool coverage was suspended in protest of the ban, impacting the dissemination of video from certain events.
Trump also directed criticism at U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, whom the president appointed in 2017. The judge is overseeing a lawsuit filed by the media outlets seeking to overturn the ban. Trump referred to Kelly as a "great, for them, and totally disloyal Judge," referencing a previous ruling against him in another media-related case.
Shortly after his posts, Trump shared a video on Truth Social depicting a person in drag as a commentary on "fake news" reporters.
The Justice Department, on Tuesday night, filed a legal brief attempting to justify the administration's media ban. The president's actions and the legal filings represent a continued deepening of his administration's contentious relationship with the press corps.