Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Monday accused the news media of ignoring his campaign and of being socialism sympathizers.
“I need to get this off my chest. I can’t stand the media,” Santorum wrote on Facebook.
“From the start of this campaign, they’ve decided that we’re not worthy of them,” his note continued. “They think it’s their job to anoint who they think should be the Republican nominee. Seriously? The media determining the Republican nominee? Give me a break!”
Santorum singled out USA Today, which he said “put the final straw on this camel’s back.”
He didn’t provide any context but the newspaper did publish a story on Sunday that said Santorum is now acknowledging that “it may soon be time for him to think about folding his campaign.”
The story quoted him from an interview in which he suggested that a weak performance in the Iowa caucuses could mean he would have to consider withdrawing from the race.
In his Facebook note, Santorum called on caucus-goers in Iowa to help him “shove it to USA Today and the reporters like them” by supporting him on Feb. 1, the day of the caucuses.
“They want to hand this election to [Democratic presidential candidates] Hillary Clinton or even Bernie Sanders,” Santorum wrote. “They like socialism because it might prop up their failing media companies. I say no!”
Santorum is polling at the bottom of the GOP field of candidates both nationally and in Iowa.
