Trump hosts roundtable accusing 'sick' media of backing Antifa
WASHINGTON
Seated in the White House State Dining Room, U.S. President Donald Trump called on far-right content creators to name and shame backers of Antifa, leading a roundtable discussion that quickly devolved into media bashing.
The president had invited "independent journalists" to the White House on Wednesday to share their experiences with the nebulous left-wing antifascist movement that his administration accuses of inciting violence against conservatives.
But Trump and his guests largely used the event to pile on mainstream media, blaming one of his favorite scapegoats for inflaming left-wing "anti-fascist" activists who have increasingly clashed with far-right groups.
"I think they [Antifa] work in conjunction with some of the media," Trump told the roundtable, which was also attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other administration officials.
Trump recently classified Antifa as a terrorist group, despite its amorphous and leaderless nature, and has pledged to dismantle it.
The 79-year-old Republican, who has launched multiple lawsuits against the media, also called MSNBC "sick," and ABC and NBC "very bad."
He encouraged participants to continue the tirade against the press corps.
"What network would you say is the worst, if I could ask?"
Seated at a large, U-shaped table, many of the assembled guests joined in.
"The same media that's sitting in this room with us has declared all of us at this table Nazis and fascists, and they've been doing this for years," said Savanah Hernandez a representative of youth conservative organization Turning Point USA, whose founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated.
"This is why Antifa feels emboldened to attack us."
'Garbage'
Conservative influencer Nick Sortor accused the press of lying about the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
"People genuinely believe, based on what comes out of the garbage standing over here, that you guys are deporting U.S. citizens," he said, pointing at the press box, cordoned off by a velvet rope.
Sortor brought a partially burned American flag to the event, saying he had recovered it from Portland.
The Democratic-run city on the U.S. West Coast has emerged as a flashpoint, with Trump declaring it under attack from Antifa and sending troops to quell demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
Trump asked Sortor to give Attorney General Pam Bondi the name of the man who burned the flag so she could file charges.
Trump signed a decree in August that makes burning the American flag punishable by up to a year in prison.
'Worst network'
Reality TV personality Trump pivoted during his reelection campaign to relying on social media influencers and podcasters to amplify his views.
Once back at the White House, he has granted them significant access, inviting them to attend his addresses in the Oval Office and to travel aboard Air Force One.
At the same time, he has escalated his war on legacy media, often calling outlets "fake news" and "enemy of the people", at a time of already record-low public trust.
He has moved to exclude major news outlets from the press pool and suggested TV networks critical of his policies should have their licences revoked.
The American Civil Liberties Union, a rights advocacy group, has accused the Trump administration of autocratic retaliation against the press, likening its targeting of opponents to the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s under senator Joseph McCarthy.
During a Q&A session on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at a journalist attempting to question him about the Middle East: "That's CNN, by the way. She's one of the worst journalists... I don't even want to take that question."
However, Trump said he was optimistic about CBS, where Bari Weiss, a noted critic of mainstream media, was recently appointed editor-in-chief.
"We have hope for CBS," he said.
