President Donald Trump is plagued by insecurities about his coverage in the media, aides who were not authorized to speak to the press revealed to The Associated Press anonymously. Trump's aides think they have a solution, though: Get the president to watch less TV.
It's easier said than done:
After relishing in Friday's inaugural festivities, the new president grew increasingly upset the next day by what he felt was "biased" media coverage of women's marches across the globe protesting his election, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Trump was particularly enraged with CNN, which he thought was "gloating" by continually running photos of the women's march alongside the smaller crowds that attended his inauguration the day before, according to this person, one of several White House aides and associates who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations. [The Associated Press]
Trump frequently responds to cable news coverage using his Twitter account, and he makes a point of calling or texting show hosts to react. "Most mornings, Trump flicks on the TV and watches Morning Joe, often for long periods of time, sometimes interrupted with texts to the hosts or panelists," Axios reported Tuesday.
And for the ex-reality TV star, the obsession is hard to curb:
Underscoring Trump's habit of stoking rivalries among his staff, he has told people he wants his counselor Kellyanne Conway to be on television more. He cheered her use of the phrase "alternative facts" in a recent interview as a way to counteract what he believes is the media's inherent bias.
Those around Trump are trying to get the cable news consumer-in-chief to be near a television less often, according to one person who has spoken with him. [The Associated Press]
Read more about Trump's media addiction at AP.