Washington(ANN)-President Donald Trump has blamed unfair media coverage for causing “great anger” in the United States in the wake of a deadly shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that killed 11 people on Saturday.
In a pair of tweets on Monday morning, Trump said the “Fake News Media” is “the true Enemy of the People.”
“There is great anger in our Country caused in part by inaccurate, and even fraudulent, reporting of the news. The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, must stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news accurately & fairly,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
“That will do much to put out the flame of Anger and Outrage and we will then be able to bring all sides together in Peace and Harmony,” he added.
On Saturday morning, a 46-year-old Pennsylvania man armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and at least three handguns stormed the Tree of Life synagogue and opened fire. Robert Bowers, the suspect, reportedly shouted “all Jews must die” as he entered the synagogue.
The 20-minute rampage described as among the deadliest against the Jewish community in the US left eleven people dead and six others wounded, including four police officers who dashed to the scene. The suspected gunman has been charged on 29 federal counts.
Trump has repeatedly condemned negative coverage of his administration as “fake news” and has increased his attacks in recent months, calling the media the “enemy of the people.”
Last week, Trump blamed the “hateful” mainstream media for much of the “anger” in society, after several prominent Democrats were allegedly targeted with explosive devices.
“A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News,” Trump tweeted on Thursday. “It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description.”
“Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!” he stated.
On Friday, Trump accused the media of trying to “score political points” against him by reporting on the series of improvised explosive devices sent to some Democrats.
On Friday, FBI agents arrested a man named Cesar Sayoc, 56, in southern Florida. He is suspected of sending at least 14 pipe bombs to the residences of Bill and Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, the offices of Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maxine Waters, and others.
According to media reports, Sayoc has been an ardent supporter of the Trump administration and was seen attending his campaign rallies in 2017.
