Lazaro Gamio / Axios
President Trump first tweeted the words "fake news" on December 10, and since then has lobbed accusations of "fake news" (or more often "FAKE NEWS") over Twitter 66 times, referring to everything from the salacious Russia dossier to a lack of coverage of his crowd sizes.
Everything Trump has labeled fake news to date:
The Russia Dossier
- Jan: Trump calls the salacious but unverified allegations in the dossier "FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!"
- Jan: Trump accuses "crooked opponents" of belittling his victory with "FAKE NEWS."
- Jan: Trump chides intelligence agencies for allowing "fake news to 'leak' into the public."
- Jan: "Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives, both Democrats and Republicans - FAKE NEWS!"
The media, in general
- Jan: Trump tweets that "a couple of FAKE NEWS organizations" were at his first presidential press conference.
- Feb: Trump accuses the "FAKE NEWS media" of making up stories and sources.
- Feb: After a day at CPAC, Trump tweets: "FAKE NEWS media knowingly doesn't tell the truth. A great danger to our country."
- June: Trump says that if he had relied on "the Fake News of CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, washpost or nytimes" he wouldn't have been elected.
CNN
- Jan: Trump says CNN is "in a total meltdown with their FAKE NEWS."
- Feb: Trump claims Bernie Sanders was cut off on CNN "for using the term fake news to describe the network."
- June: After three reporters at CNN resign, Trump tweets that "Fake News CNN is looking at big management changes," and asks when other outlets will be "caught cold" — "they are all Fake News!"
The New York Times
- June: Trump labels the NY Times "A Fake News Joke."
The Washington Post
- June: Trump goes after Amazon (over "internet taxes") and the Post ("FAKE NEWS"), all in one. Both are owned by Jeff Bezos.
Morning Joe
- June: After a twitter-attack on TV hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Trump says "low rated @Morning_Joe" is "FAKE NEWS."
Reports of White House dysfunction
- Feb: In response to reports that Steve Bannon is pulling the strings in the White House, Trump tweets that he calls his own shots, and "some FAKE NEWS media, in order to marginalize, lies!"
- Feb: Trump says not to believe the "main stream (fake news) media," and that the White House "is running VERY WELL."
- Mar: After a series of stories describe dysfunction in the White House, Trump denies the rumors in a tweet saying not to believe the "FAKE NEWS" media. "We are getting along great, and getting major things done!"
Reports on health care struggles
- Apr: Trump says: "Anybody (especially Fake News media) who thinks that Repeal & Replace of ObamaCare is dead does not know the love and strength in R Party!"
- May: Ahead of the House vote on repeal and replace, Trump says the "Fake News media" will "do or say anything in order to get attention."
- June: The day after meeting with GOP Senators at the White House over the new health care bill, Trump assures followers that he is "totally engaged in healthcare," contrary to what "some of the Fake News Media likes to say."
Reports on Trump/Russia connections
- May: After a week of Russia-related stories, Trump says the "leaks coming out of the White House" are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media."
- May: Following bombshell Russia reports Trump tweets, "#FakeNews is the enemy!"
- May: Trump suggests that Russian officials "must be laughing" at the way "a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News."
- June: The morning of Jeff Sessions' testimony, Trump says the "Fake News Media has never been so wrong or so dirty."
Reports on jobs
- Jan: Trump takes credit for companies adding jobs in the U.S., calls reports saying otherwise "FAKE NEWS."
- June: In two tweets, Trump lists "great economic news since Election Day" that the "#FakeNews MSM doesn't report."
Reports that he argued with Australia's Prime Minister
- Feb: Trump thanks Australian P.M. Turnbull for "telling the truth about [their] very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about."
Challenges to his claim of terrorism in Sweden
- Feb: After receiving criticism for seeming to falsely suggest Sweden had been hit by a terrorist attack, Trump tweets that "the FAKE NEWS media is trying to say that large scale immigration in Sweden is working out just beautifully. NOT!"
Claims that his social media usage undermines his message
- May: Trump says the "Fake News Media works hard at disparaging and demeaning" his use of social media because "they don't want America to hear the real story!"
- June: After getting criticized for attacking London's mayor in the wake of a terrorist attack, Trump tweets that the "FAKE MSM" was working hard to get him off of social media.
- June: "The Fake News Media hates when I use what has turned out to be my very powerful Social Media...I can go around them."
Reports that he's hurting Republican candidates
- June: After congressional elections in South Carolina and Georgia, Trump tweets that "those that want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN are 5 and 0" while the "Fake News....= 0."
Apprentice rumors
- Jan: Trump calls a CNN report that he will continue working on The Apprentice as president "ridiculous & untrue - FAKE NEWS!"
Crowd size
- Feb: Trump accuses "the FAKE NEWS media" of refusing to acknowledge the "big crowds of enthusiastic supporters lining the road" in Florida.