For poor coverage, Trump takes on media

Donald Trump said a day after his inauguration, “We had a massive field of people. I get up this morning, I turn on one of the networks, and they show an empty field. I say, wait a minute, I made a speech. I looked out, it looked like a million, million and a half people. They showed a field where there were practically nobody standing there. They (media) said, Donald Trump did not draw well. I said, it was almost raining, the rain should have scared them away, but God looked down and he said, we’re not going to let it rain on your speech. Then I walked off and it poured right after I left. But it went all the way back to the Washington Monument. And I turn on — and by mistake I get this network, and it showed an empty field. And it said we drew 250,000 people.” 

“Now, that’s not bad, but it’s a lie. We had 250,000 people literally around in the little bowl that we constructed. The rest of the 20-block area, all the way back to the Washington Monument, was packed. I think they’re (media) going to pay a big price,” Trump warned. Trump was speaking at the CIA headquarters. He told his top spy agency that this is the reason for him visiting the CIA headquarters as the media has portrayed that he has differences with the intelligence community. “The reason you’re my first stop is that, as you know, I have a running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth,” Trump said amidst applause and laughter from the CIA officials attending his maiden address to them. 

Meanwhile, in an unusual sharply worded remark, that took the White House press corps by surprise, new White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer blasted the media for what he considered “inaccurate and unfair” press coverage over the past 48 hours. Prominent among these included tweets about a Martin Luther King bust in the Oval Office, and the crowd size coverage during presidential inauguration on Friday. “The president is committed to unifying the country and that was the focus of his inaugural address. This kind of dishonesty in the media, the challenge of bringing about our nation together is making it more difficult,” Spicer said. “There’s been a lot of talk in the media about the responsibility to hold Donald Trump accountable. And I am here to tell you that it goes two ways. We are going to hold the press accountable as well,” said the new White House Press Secretary. Spicer, did not take any question but said he would hold his first news conference on Monday.