Trump denies report that he watches 4-8 hours of TV a day

REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

President Donald Trump in Florida.

• President Donald Trump denied an extensive report about his media diet.
• The New York Times reported that Trump watches hours of cable news a day.

President Donald Trump pushed back against a lengthy New York Times report that detailed how his media diet has shaped the first 10 months of his presidency. 

In a tweet on Monday, the president denied that he watched four to eight hours of television a day, and occasionally hate-watches CNN's Don Lemon in the evenings, which were two revelations reported in Saturday's piece in the Times.

"Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the 'dumbest man on television!' Bad Reporting," Trump wrote.

Trump previously tried to counter the idea that he is a cable television addict, despite his close relationships with Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, and others.

After The Times asked Trump in November to respond to questions for the story about his media diet, he told reporters seemingly out of nowhere that he didn't have much time to watch television.

"I do not watch much television," Trump said. "I know they like to say - people that don't know me - they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources - you know, fake reporters, fake sources. But I don't get to watch much television, primarily because of documents. I'm reading documents a lot."

Times Deputy Managing Editor Clifford Levy tweeted affirming the Times reporting, and pointing out the dozens of sources the paper cited in its story. 

For months, political watchers have noticed a pattern in Trump's online statements.

In the mornings, he often tweets opinions reacting to news shortly after segments on cable television, including programs like "Fox & Friends."

Indeed, about 20 minutes before Trump's tweet on Monday, MSNBC's "Morning Joe" ran a segment about the president's television habits.