Donald Trump once posted a personal note to comedian Al Madrigal branding him an 'idiot'

'I just want you to know that I think you're an idiot,' says Mr Trump

According to Madrigal, Mr Trump included a smiley face

Donald Trump’s unshakeable hatred of the media and the arts is plain for the world to see. The US President’s all-out war with the “fake news media” has seen him routinely launch into acerbic attacks on the press and his extreme dislike of Hollywood liberalism has seen him hurl insults at actors.

But it would be foolhardy to assume the billionaire property tycoon's bitter feud is something which started in the White House. Mr Trump has a history of sending angry notes to journalists who have penned critical articles about him or actors who have mocked him in some way or other.

Al Madrigal, an actor who was a regular correspondent on The Daily Show, was fortunate enough to be one of President Trump’s chosen few.

During an appearance at Politicon, a non-partisan event of panel discussions held in Pasadena in California this weekend, Madigral recounted the time he received a note from Mr Trump a few years ago.

The actor, who is known for his role in dark comedy series I’m Dying Up Here, gave an interview to New York magazine back in 2013 in which he described President Trump as "adorable in an evil Muppet sort of way."

Madigral later received a call from President Trump’s secretary who enquired about a fax number to reach him.

Before long, he had received a faxed version of the article in which Mr Trump had drawn a ring around the snide remark and written: "I just want you to know that I think you're an idiot."

According to Madrigal, Mr Trump, who has attacked actors such as Meryl Streep and TV hosts such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert in the past, included a smiley face.

While Mr Trump’s barbed attacks on the media have been plentiful, the most brazen was arguably his outburst at CNN at the beginning of the month.

The former reality TV star, who has reportedly spent time in the White House watching cable TV in his bathrobe and marking up negative news stories with a black sharpie, posted a video of himself body slamming the news outlet.

President Trump appeared to promote violence against the news network by tweeting an old video of himself performing at a 2007 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestling match but with his opponent’s face covered with a CNN logo.

“#FraudNewsCNN,” wrote the President who has long been associated with WWE and was inducted into the company's Hall of Fame in 2013.

At the time CNN responded by posting a quote from White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying that “the President in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary.”

“It is a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters,” the network said in an official statement. “Clearly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the President had never done so. Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill, he is instead involved in juvenile behaviour far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.”