The President

The Trump Administration's 'Running War' With The Media Continues

On his first full day as president, Donald Trump attacked the media for the coverage of the size of the crowd at his inauguration.

The Trump Administration's 'Running War' With The Media Continues
58th Presidential Inaugural Committee via The New York Times
SMS

President Donald Trump says he's at war with the media.

"They are among the most dishonest human beings on the Earth," Trump said during a press conference Saturday.

His first fight with journalists since taking office: inauguration crowd size. 

Millions Actually Watched The Inauguration, Just Not From The Ground
Millions Actually Watched The Inauguration, Just Not From The Ground

Millions Actually Watched The Inauguration, Just Not From The Ground

Almost 31 million people watched Donald Trump's inauguration from home, making it the fifth most watched inauguration since 1969.

LEARN MORE

Pictures circulated on social media comparing the National Mall crowd during President Obama's 2009 inauguration to Trump's. 

"We had a massive field of people. You saw that — packed. I get up this morning and I turn on one of the networks, and they show an empty field. I said, 'Wait a minute, I made a speech.' I looked out. The field was — it looked like a million, million and a half people. They showed a field where there was practically nobody standing there," Trump said.

"This kind of dishonesty in the media, the challenging that bringing about our nation together is making it more difficult," said press secretary Sean Spicer in an impromptu press conference. "There's been a lot of talk in the media about the responsibility to hold Donald Trump accountable. And I'm here to tell you that it goes two ways. We're going to hold the press accountable as well."

When confronted about the fiasco, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway told NBC's "Meet the Press" the administration presented "alternative facts."

"It undermines the entire credibility of the White House press office on day one," Chuck Todd said.

"No, it doesn't. Don't be so overly dramatic about it, Chuck. You're saying it's a falsehood. And ... Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that," Conway said.

"Wait a minute. Alternative facts?" Todd asked.

But that wasn't Trump's only complaint. He also blamed the media for his perceived "feud" with the intelligence community, even though he's openly criticized the intelligence community on Twitter.

"I can only say, I'm with you 1,000 percent. ... And they sort of made it sound like I had a 'feud' with the intelligence community. And I just wanna let you know, it's the reason you're the No. 1 stop, it is exactly the opposite," Trump said.