- A majority of Republicans view the news media as the "enemy of the people," according to a new poll by Quinnipiac University.
- Most Americans do not hold the same opinion, with a majority saying the media is "an important part of democracy."
WASHINGTON - A majority of Republicans view the news media as the "enemy of the people," according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.
In the poll, which sampled 1,175 voters nationwide during August, 51% of Republican voters said that they view the news media as "enemy of the people," compared to just 36% who said it is "an important part of democracy."
Republicans were the only group polled to have a majority view the news media is the enemy of the people. Among all Americans, 65% said the media is an important part of democracy while only 26% characterized the press as the enemy of the people.
"The media, so frequently excoriated by the White House, is not considered an enemy of the people," said assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll Tim Malloy. "Far from it."
President Donald Trump regularly chastises the press as the "enemy of the people," shouting during rallies and in his early morning Twitter tirades.
While Trump has on multiple occassions called the news media enemies of the people in the broadest of terms, he once attempted to clarify after his daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump said journalists are not the enemy of the people.
"They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said no," Trump wrote on Twitter on August 2. "It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people!"
Trump followed the brief clarification three days later by continuing his "enemy of the people" jab, writing on Twitter that reporters create wars and sow distrust in the country.
"The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it's TRUE," Trump wrote. "I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People. They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!"