Journalists often recoil at President Trump’s blistering attacks on the media, portraying them as a threat to the democratic principle of a strong free press that holds those in power accountable by reporting the truth. But a new poll shows why his attacks ultimately work.

Trump’s contentious relationship with the press has been a central part of his political career since it launched in 2015. His attacks on the press helped endear him to conservative primary voters who may have otherwise been turned off by his earlier flirtations with liberal policies on issues such as abortion, gun control, and healthcare. Though even by the standards of a politician, Trump has a penchant for exaggerating or lying with ease, his barbs against the dishonesty of the media, which have been aided by a steady flow of high profile mistakes, have allowed him to wave away unfavorable reporting with the phrase “fake news.”