Former White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said that he doesn’t believe the press is the “enemy of the American people,” as President Trump has repeatedly claimed.
“No, the press is not the enemy of the American people,” Short told NPR on Friday.
“The press is an open and free — press is foundational to American democracy. It is absolutely essential to protect our democracy. And they have a responsibility to keep elected officials accountable,” the former Trump aide said.
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“At the same time, I do think the press also has a responsibility to get things fair and get it reported accurately,” he continued.
Short, who left the White House last month, also told NPR that he believes Trump is “frustrated by what he views is an extreme bias against his administration” in media coverage.
“And I think that is a source of enormous frustration for him,” he added.
Trump, who has long feuded with the media over coverage that he deems unfair, has ratcheted up his attacks in recent months, repeatedly using the “enemy of the people” label when going after the news media.
The president on Thursday lashed out after the Boston Globe organized a national effort to publish editorials opposing Trump’s attacks on the press. Trump accused the newspaper of “COLLUSION with other papers on free press” and claimed that “THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY.”