During a Saturday night rally packed with devoted supporters at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA, President Donald Trump spent extensive portions of his first 100 days speech torching the news media for their liberal tilt, using facts like the blockbuster April 19 Media Research Center study.
Trump launched into a lengthy disassembling of liberal media outlets on the same night of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) by suggesting that “before we talk about my first 100 days which has been very exciting and very if, let's rate the media's 100 days.”
Knocking the media as “a disgrace,” Trump led into the MRC study by citing Morning Consult poll that revealed “more than half of Americans say the media is out of touch with everyday Americans and they’ve proven that.”
Trump previously cited an MRC study during the campaign, so he again name-checked the parent organization of this site on Saturday:
According to Media Research Center's, 89 percent of the media's coverage of our administrations has been negative and purposely negative and perhaps that's because according to the Center for Public Integrity, 96 percent of journalists who made donations in the last election gave them to our opponent. Does anyone remember who our opponent was?
Rewinding a few minutes to near the beginning of his speech, he noted to the crowd:
As you may know there is another big gathering taking place tonight in Washington D.C.. Did you hear about it? [BOOING] A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in her nation's capital right now. [APPLAUSE] They are gathered together for the White House Correspondents' Dinner without the President.
“And I could not possibly the more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people, right? Right,” Trump added.
The rowdy crowd seemingly got ahead of Trump when it broke out in “CNN sucks” chants when Trump pointed to the members of the media who, likely to their chagrin, were at the rally instead of the WHCD.
Following the crowd’s lead, he invoked CNN and their fellow Resistance-promoting network MSNBC:
Media outlets like CNN and MSNBC are fake news. Fake news. And they are sitting, and they are wishing in Washington. They are watching right now, they are watching and they would love to be with us right here tonight. [APPLAUSE] But they are trapped at the dinner which will be very, very boring[.]
Prior to Trump emerging on the stage, Vice President Mike Pence had a few swings at the media too.
Pence explained that “Trump's tireless leadership really inspires me every single day” before observing that “while left-wing activists and their willing allies in the media — you know, while they’ve been ignoring the facts and spreading that fake news, the American people know the truth.”
“The truth is President Trump has been relentlessly delivering on the promises he had made to the American people and America is back,” Pence added.
Concerning Trump’s first 100 days, Pence again hit the media: “Across-the-board, our new President is doing exactly what he said he would do and it's driving all of them a little bit crazy.”
Here’s the relevant portions of the Trump rally from April 29:
Trump Rally
April 29, 2017
7:40 p.m. Eastern
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: You know, President Trump's tireless leadership really inspires me every single day and while left-wing activists and their willing allies in the media — you know, while they’ve been ignoring the facts and spreading that fake news, the American people know the truth. The truth is President Trump has been relentlessly delivering on the promises he had made to the American people and America is back.
(....)
7:44 p.m. Eastern
PENCE: Across-the-board, our new President is doing exactly what he said he would do and it's driving all of them a little bit crazy. [APPLAUSE] In his first 100 days, President Trump has signed more legislation and executive orders than any president in more than 50 years.
(....)
7:52 p.m. Eastern
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: As you may know there is another big gathering taking place tonight in Washington D.C.. Did you hear about it? [BOOING] A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in her nation's capital right now. [APPLAUSE] They are gathered together for the White House Correspondents' Dinner without the President. [APPLAUSE] And I could not possibly the more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people, right? Right? [APPLAUSE AND CHANTING] U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! And look at the media back there. They would actually rather be here, I have to tell you. That's right. [CROWD CHANTING “CNN SUCKS”] Media outlets like CNN and MSNBC are fake news. Fake news. And they are sitting, and they are wishing in Washington. They are watching right now, they are watching and they would love to be with us right here tonight. [APPLAUSE] But they are trapped at the dinner which will be very, very boring, but next year maybe we will make it more exciting for them and Washington will show up but we have a good chance of showing up here next year too. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] The truth is there is no place I'd rather be than right here in Pennsylvania to celebrate. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] Our 100 day milestone to reflect on an incredible journey together and to get ready for the great, great battles to come and that we will win in every case. We will win. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] Because make no mistake, we are just beginning in our fight to make America great again. [APPLAUSE] Now before we talk about my first 100 days which has been very exciting and very if, let's rate the media's 100 days. Should we do that? Because as you know, they are a disgrace. According to a Morning Consult poll, more than half of Americans say the media is out of touch with everyday Americans and they’ve proven that. According to Media Research Center's, 89 percent of the media's coverage of our administrations has been negative and purposely negative and perhaps that's because according to the Center for Public Integrity, 96 percent of journalists who made donations in the last election gave them to our opponent. Does anyone remember who our opponent was?
