President Donald Trump cited the "tremendous success" of his administration in a series of defiant tweets that took aim at the media and his critics.
Amid a partial government shutdown that has now entered its third week, and his threat to declare a national emergency to bypass Congress and use military funding to get his wall built, Trump reiterated his contempt for parts of the media.
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He wrote Monday morning: "With all of the success that our Country is having, including the just released jobs numbers which are off the charts, the Fake News & totally dishonest Media concerning me and my presidency has never been worse.
"Many have become crazed lunatics who have given up on the TRUTH!" he added.
Trump went on to attack the "Fake News Media," which in his view "knowingly lie and demean in order make the tremendous success of the Trump Administration, and me, look as bad as possible.
"They use non-existent sources & write stories that are total fiction. Our Country is doing so well, yet this is a sad day in America! The Fake News Media in our Country is the real Opposition Party. It is truly the Enemy of the People! We must bring honesty back to journalism and reporting!" Trump tweeted.
Trump lauded the increase in job numbers, which increased by 312,000 in December, The Guardian reported, well above forecasts and amid a volatile stock market.
The usually critical Washington Post praised the increase in manufacturing jobs as one of the 10 best things Trump did in 2018.
The Trump administration recently faced numerous accusations of exaggerating the threat of criminals seeking to enter the United States.
In an interview with Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Sunday, Fox News host Chris Wallace disputed the White House spokesperson's claim that nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists came into the U.S. illegally and "that our most vulnerable point of entry is at our southern border."
Wallace said, "The State Department says there hasn't been any terrorists that they've found coming across the southern border with Mexico. It's by air, it's by land and it's by sea. It's all of the above."
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About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
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