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Reporters Without Borders today called on president Trump to end his "vicious attacks" on journalists covering his daily COVID-19 briefings.
The group rapped Trump for exploiting the briefings for political gains, as he spends much of his podium time lodging insults, contradicting White House pandemic messaging and sharing unsubstantiated medical information.
“At a time when Americans desperately need a steady stream of consistent evidence-based information, president Trump has turned the press briefing room into a political circus full of misinformation and self aggrandizement,” said Dokhi Fassihian, executive director of RWBUSA, said in a statement.
RWB cited eight attacks launched by Trump on reporters from ABC, FOX, CNN, PBS and CBS.
Those incidents, according to Fassihian, represent "a sinister attempt to scapegoat the press with hateful rhetoric designed to distract, deflect, and dodge critically important questions about the administration’s response to COVID-19.”
RWB noted that CNN and MSNBC have chosen not to air Trump's briefings full due to the "legitimate concern of accidentally spreading misinformation."
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