Donald Trump prefers to read publications that 'flatter' and 'confirm' his worldview
Donald Trump may not be a big reader, but he is obsessed with the news. And when it comes to picking which outlets to read and share, Trump favors publications that "largely [flatter] and [confirm] that which he claims to be true," BuzzFeed News reports.
Of 2,687 hyperlinks tweeted by Trump since he announced his candidacy in June 2015, BuzzFeed News discovered that Trump most often shares news from Breitbart.com — perhaps no surprise, as former Breitbart chairman Steve Bannon left the website to join Trump's campaign and is now Trump's senior White House adviser.
But while BuzzFeed's analysis also found Trump reads his share of mainstream media publications like The Washington Post and The New York Post, it also found Trump's "preferred content seems to be right-leaning, hyper-partisan sites and opinion blogs including Daily Caller (21 links), Newsmax (18), the Gateway Pundit (14 links), [and] the Conservative Treehouse (11)," among others.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Our analysis revealed a media ecosystem that appears to largely reinforce and affirm the views publicly expressed by Trump and his closest advisers. The news stories Trump tweets share several characteristics: 1) They often favor sensationalism over facts and reporting; 2) They frequently echo direct quotes from Trump himself or his closest advisers; and 3) They routinely malign his enemies and vindicate his most controversial opinions. [BuzzFeed News]
In addition to crunching the numbers, BuzzFeed News published an interactive cloud of Trump's favorite media organizations, which you can browse in depth here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Upper House Hong Kong: a serene sanctuary in the bustle of the cityThe Week Recommends Panoramic harbour views and super-stylish interiors elevate this luxury hotel to another level
-
Magazine solutions - December 5, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 5, 2025
-
Marty Supreme: Timothée Chalamet is ‘captivating’ as a ping pong prodigyThe Week Recommends Josh Safdie’s ‘electrifying’ tale about a table tennis hustler is hotly tipped for Oscars glory
-
Canada joins EU’s $170B SAFE defense fundspeed read This makes it the first non-European Union country in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative
-
Appeals court disqualifies US Attorney Alina HabbaSpeed Read The former personal attorney to President Donald Trump has been unlawfully serving as US attorney for New Jersey, the ruling says
-
White House says admiral ordered potential war crimeSpeed Read The Trump administration claims Navy Vice Adm. Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley ordered a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat, not Pete Hegseth
-
Honduras votes amid Trump push, pardon vowspeed read President Trump said he will pardon former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving 45 years for drug trafficking
-
Congress seeks answers in ‘kill everybody’ strike reportSpeed Read Lawmakers suggest the Trump administration’s follow-up boat strike may be a war crime
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
