Trump blames the media for 'the anger we see today' after CNN and others are targeted with explosives

A day after Democratic politicians and a major news organization were targeted with explosive devices, President Trump is pointing his finger at the mainstream media.

The president tweeted Thursday that "a very large part of the Anger we see today" is caused by the "purposely false and inaccurate reporting" of the media, which he referred to as "fake news." Trump also warned the media to "clean up its act." The tweet came after several explosive devices were found addressed to Trump's political enemies and to CNN's New York office; the package to CNN was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. The tweet also came just as New York police were investigating a suspicious package addressed to actor and Trump critic Robert De Niro.

This is a notable shift in tone from Wednesday afternoon, when Trump delivered a speech calling for unity in response to the attacks. The president also spoke at a rally on Wednesday night and refrained from many of his usual attacks on the media. He patted himself on the back for his restraint, saying, "do you see how nice I'm behaving tonight?"

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up