Trump ramps up criticism of press: ‘In six years, they all go BUST!’

President Trump in an early morning tweet on Wednesday launched another attack on the press, predicting that media organizations will “all go bust” when he leaves office.

Trump said that the press “has never been more dishonest than it is today.”

“Stories are written that have absolutely no basis in fact,” he added.

“The writers don’t even call asking for verification. They are totally out of control. Sadly, I kept many of them in business. In six years, they all go BUST!”

The Press has never been more dishonest than it is today. Stories are written that have absolutely no basis in fact. The writers don’t even call asking for verification. They are totally out of control. Sadly, I kept many of them in business. In six years, they all go BUST!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019

{mosads}Trump in his initial tweet did not point to any specific reporting that sparked his criticism, which came after a lengthy New York Times report detailed his efforts to privately influence investigations into him and his presidency.

The Times reported that Trump sought to place a top ally in charge of an investigation into his former attorney, Michael Cohen.

The president on Tuesday denied the report, calling it “fake news.” The White House declined to comment to the Times before the report was published.

In a tweet later Wednesday morning, Trump said the newspaper’s reporting was “false.”

The New York Times reporting is false. They are a true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2019

Trump’s tweet is just the latest in an ongoing series of criticisms of news coverage and media organizations. He has repeatedly referred to some news organizations as “fake news,” calling them the “enemy of the people.”

Last month, he accused members of the media of becoming “crazed lunatics who have given up on the TRUTH.” In 2018, he tweeted or retweeted the phrase “fake news” nearly 200 times.

–Updated at 8:55 a.m.