President Trump’s political allies are hoping to raise at least $2 million ahead of the 2020 election to investigate members of major media outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post, according to an Axios report.
The news outlet reports that officials told them the group will target reporters and editors and will leak “damaging information” about them to “friendly media outlets,” including Breitbart.
{mosads}Among the group’s “primary targets” are CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, HuffPost and “all others that routinely incorporate bias and misinformation in to their coverage,” Axios reports, citing a three-page fundraising pitch.
Other 2020 groups will reportedly focus on targeting social media platforms and alleged bias.
Axios reports that among the group’s members are GOP consultant Arthur Schwartz and a “loose network” of conservative operatives allied with the White House who, according to a report in The New York Times last week, are looking to discredit news organizations deemed hostile to the president.
The Times reported that the group had already released information about journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times because they published pieces that White House allies say damages Trump’s chances of reelection, The Times reports.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has often sparred with the media, calling unflattering reports “fake news” in response to a wide array of topics.
He has frequently lashed out at the Post, the Times, CNN and MSNBC as well as others over issues including the economy to growing frustration in the aftermath of a number of mass shootings.