President Trump on Monday proposed the establishment of an international TV network to rival CNN in international markets after complaining that the cable channel pushes biased reports about the U.S. overseas.
“While CNN doesn’t do great in the United States based on ratings, outside of the U.S. they have very little competition,” Trump wrote in a pair of tweets. “Throughout the world, CNN has a powerful voice portraying the United States in an unfair and false way. Something has to be done, including the possibility of the United States starting our own Worldwide Network to show the World the way we really are, GREAT!”
….and false way. Something has to be done, including the possibility of the United States starting our own Worldwide Network to show the World the way we really are, GREAT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018
CNN this month posted strong viewership numbers in comparison to MSNBC, despite constantly falling behind Fox News in prime-time and overall ratings.
Trump frequently uses CNN as a political foil. The cable news network earlier in November sued Trump and members of his administration for revoking the “hard press pass” of chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta. Acosta had his credentials reinstated in accordance with an order from a federal judge in Washington, however stricter rules are now being floated for the White House press corps.
This is not the first time Trump, a reality TV star who in 2004 founded his own production company, has sought to intervene in the broadcast industry as president.
In October 2017, he raised the prospect of reviewing NBC’s license after the news division reported the former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson referred to the president as a “moron.” Trump renewed his calls against NBC in October following allegations the network had mishandled Ronan Farrow’s work exposing Harvey Weinstein’s misconduct.
