Republican strategist Karl Rove on Monday hit President Trump for using the epithet “enemy of the people” to describe the press, advising Trump to “tone down” his language because it was a term adopted by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
“That just grates on me,” Rove said during an interview with Fox News. “I grew up during the time of the Cold War and that is a phrase that was used by Stalin against the enemies of the communist regime. I think the president would be well-advised to tone down the rhetoric.”
Rove, who served as a senior adviser and deputy chief of staff for former President George W. Bush, said Trump would be better served by “respectfully” disagreeing with media coverage he did not appreciate on “a case-by-case basis.”
“I think this is over the top,” he continued. “Every president has problems with the media. I was in the White House for seven years. I didn’t like the coverage that they gave George W. Bush, particularly the liberal New York Times.”
Trump on Sunday escalated his disparaging remarks regarding news outlets and reporters he considers to be “fake news,” accusing them of having caused war.
“The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it’s TRUE,” he wrote on Twitter. “I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People. They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!”
[More: Kellyanne Conway: I don’t believe journalists are the ‘enemy of the people’]
The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it’s TRUE. I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People. They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018
Ivanka Trump, a White House adviser and first daughter, broke with her father Thursday telling the audience at an event in Washington that she disagreed with his characterization of the media.
[Opinion: You can hate Trump, but you have to respect Ivanka and Melania for publicly disagreeing with him]
