Fox News Anchor Slams Trump: ‘Bullying Journalists Is Not Presidential’
U.S. President Donald Trump has never had an easy relationship with the media or the journalists behind it. Since becoming president, he has spent a lot of time sprouting the phrase “fake news,” often speaking of news agencies that fall on the more liberal side and spend time criticizing him or trying to remind him of things he previously said. His relationship with the press has become so tenuous that he earlier this month told his Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders “not to bother” with press briefings anymore.
Members of the media have started firing back at the president, even from shows that Trump has always favored. Fox News has of late become more critical of Trump and his dealings, and in turn the president has hit back at them as well.
On Monday night, anchor Julie Banderas blasted the president after Trump found two new targets to take aim at: Fox News reporters John Roberts and Gillian Turner. According to the Huffington Post, Banderas did not take too kindly to this.
The comments from the president came after Roberts and Turner reported on Trump’s negotiations over the southern border wall. After shutting down the government for over a month, Trump came away without the one thing he had demanded that had triggered the shutdown in the first place: $5.7 billion for the wall.
Apparently Trump was none too pleased with Roberts and Turner’s assessment of the situation.
“Never thought I’d say this but I think [Roberts] and [Turner] @FoxNews have even less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Fox News anchor defends colleagues after criticism from Trump: "This is NOT right" https://t.co/ImuOrGNR9u pic.twitter.com/p8JhX6Cynt
— The Hill (@thehill) January 28, 2019
Banderas responded on Twitter, writing a series of tweets back to the president.
“@realDonaldTrump This is NOT right. I stand by my colleagues @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner They don’t deserve this. No reporter does. They are doing their jobs and reporting the facts. They are not opinion journalists and deserve the respect from the @WhiteHouse they cover.”
Many lashed out at her for apparently not being able to handle criticism as a journalist, causing her to issue a second tweet, but the journalist responded to a number of them, refusing to back down on her argument.
“Our jobs are not meant to please others. But the office of the @POTUS ought not to be the one lashing out. That’s not how this country works. That’s not how Freedom of the Press works…. Bullying journalists is not Presidential. Period,” she wrote.
Trump and the White House have not commented since Banderas slammed him, nor has the president responded via his own Twitter account again.
