Donald Trump threatens to 'take away media's credentials' over negative news stories about him

'Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt?'

Donald Trump has suggested he could “take away credentials” of media organisations over negative stories about him.

“The Fake News is working overtime.” the US president tweeted. ”Just reported that, despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake).

“Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?”

The billionaire appeared to be responding to a segment on his favourite cable news show, Fox & Friends, which aired figures collated by Media Research Center (MRC), a right-wing media watchdog.

In the study, the authors said the “liberal media’s war” against Mr Trump was “as fierce as ever” during the first four months of 2018.

They claimed 90 per cent of evaluative comments about Mr Trump during evening news broadcasts by ABC, CBS and NBC were negative.

The president’s suggestion appeared to be a threat to remove access to the White House for news networks he considers overly hostile. Critics said any such move could be considered an attack on the First Amendment.

His comments echoed ones made in October, when he threatened to shut down NBC over reports the 71-year-old had sought to increase America’s nuclear Arsenal tenfold.

“With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!” Mr Trump tweeted.

The president has also raised the possibility of cancelling the daily press briefing and wondered about opening up “our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money”.

On Tuesday, the White House issued a statement attacking “opposition media” for its coverage of Melania Trump’s use of an Obama-era pamphlet to launch her anti-bullying campaign.