Trump blasts Wall Street Journal over ‘third-rate’ editorial

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump went after The Wall Street Journal Thursday morning over an editorial critical of his comments on a major trade deal.

{mosads}”There’s so much misinformation, but you would think that a paper like The Wall Street Journal would call for clarification,” Trump said on “Fox and Friends.”

“But they don’t do that, they just write. That’s why they’re not a respected paper too much anymore,” Trump added.

The newspaper said in its editorial that, based on Trump’s comments in the fourth GOP debate Tuesday night about the trade pact, “it wasn’t obvious that he has any idea what’s in it.”

“I know it intimately, although it is 6,000 pages,” Trump responded on Fox News.

The newspaper also noted that Trump discussed Chinese currency manipulation, which he often does on the campaign trail.

“But it took Rand Paul to point out that China isn’t part of the deal and would be happy if the agreement collapsed so the U.S. would have less economic influence in Asia,” the Journal said.

“I know that China’s not in the deal,” Trump shot back in another interview Thursday morning on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo. “I talk about it all the time.”

“The Wall Street Journal editorial board doesn’t know what they’re talking about. They’re third-rate,” Trump said, suggesting the head of the board “ought to resign.”

Trump also sent a series of tweets on Thursday morning before his television appearances blasting the newspaper for its editorial, which was published the same day.

Today’s @WSJ Editorial is WRONG again. I know that China is not in the new T.P.P. trade deal but would come in latter through a back door.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2015

.@WSJ Editorial Board should review my debate statement re China and T.P.P. and apologize. China not part but will get their way in later.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2015

The @WSJ Editorial Board is so wrong, so often. They got info from an incorrect story in another pub. Why not watch and listen to debate.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2015

When and how are the dummies at the @WSJ going to apologize to me for their totally incorrect Editorial on me. I want “smart” trade deals.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2015

Why wouldn’t the @WSJ call for comment or clarification before writing an editorial which is so totally wrong. No wonder it is doing poorly!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2015

Trump has had a series of media flaps over the course of his campaign, including with personalities and networks including Fox News, CNN and several conservative commentators.