Trump Attacks CNN and MS NOW Ratings While Praising CNN Analyst Harry Enten
Key Takeaways
- •Trump claimed on Truth Social that CNN and MS NOW are collapsing in ratings and that nobody watches either network.
- •The attack followed an MS NOW interview in which New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman defended her reporting that Trump will skip the upcoming 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero.
- •Despite saying nobody watches CNN, Trump praised the network's chief data analyst Harry Enten for presenting polling favorable to him.
- •Trump has a long history of attacking CNN and MSNBC, which rebranded as MS NOW, and frequently uses the nickname 'MSDNC'.
President Donald Trump attacked CNN and MS NOW in a rambling Truth Social post on Saturday morning, hurling insults at both cable news outlets and claiming their ratings were collapsing — while contradicting himself in the process.
"CNN is in a DEATH SPIRAL," Trump wrote, "and so is MSNOW, the new name for MSDNC — Literally, nobody is watching either Network!"
The post came shortly after an on-air interview on MS NOW with New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who pushed back against Trump's criticism of her from the previous day. Haberman had reported on the New York City-born president's decision to skip the upcoming 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero, a report Trump had sharply criticized.
"That's objectively news," Haberman said. "It wasn't going to stay secret."
Trump repeated his claim that "Literally, nobody is watching either Network!" — but his own words suggested otherwise. At least one person appears to be watching regularly: Trump himself.
Indeed, the president went on to heap praise on CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, whose reporting he appeared to know well. Enten, a well-known political polling analyst who appears regularly on CNN, has frequently featured Trump's approval numbers in his segments.
"The best person on CNN is Pollster Harry Enten, because he was willing to show that Donald J. Trump is six times more popular than Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, or any other President," Trump wrote. "He's got Credibility (Don't fire him!)"
The post is the latest in a series of Trump attacks on cable news networks. CNN and MSNBC, which rebranded as MS NOW, have long been frequent targets of the president's criticism, particularly over their coverage of his administration. Trump's use of "MSDNC" is a long-standing nickname he has applied to the network for years, and his criticism of media outlets has been a recurring feature of his political messaging both during and between his presidencies. The tension between the White House and the press corps over coverage decisions — such as the scrutiny of his planned absence from the 9/11 memorial — continues to shape his public statements about individual reporters and networks alike.
Source: Raw Story
