MOSCOW (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump’s claims that certain media organizations and their journalists are dishonest may amount to incitement of violence against media, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said Wednesday.
Last week during a rally in Arizona, Trump accused the media of being "truly dishonest," "fake," "bad" and "crooked," as well as of deepening divisions inside the country.
FAKE NEWS — A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 11 января 2017 г.
"I wish to also draw on president’s repeated attacks on three of the most respected news organizations in the world, The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN, repeatedly referring to the organizations as liars, as crooks and most recently in Arizona he went as far as to refer to journalists as ‘really, really dishonest people, bad people who don’t like our country’ … I believe it could amount to incitement," he told a press conference.
Reports by @CNN that I will be working on The Apprentice during my Presidency, even part time, are ridiculous & untrue — FAKE NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 10 декабря 2016 г.
Zeid wondered whether such claims were not "incitement for others to attack journalists" and whether Trump would bear responsibility should a reporter from one of these organizations were harmed.
.@CNN is in a total meltdown with their FAKE NEWS because their ratings are tanking since election and their credibility will soon be gone!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 12 января 2017 г.
"It's really quite amazing when you think that freedom of the press, not only sort of cornerstone of the US Constitution but very much something that the United States defended over the years is now itself under attack from the President," he added.
Ever since Trump assumed office, he has been lashing out at various mainstream media outlets calling them "fake news" over reports of his alleged connections to the Kremlin, his approval ratings as well as other issues.
I win an election easily, a great "movement" is verified, and crooked opponents try to belittle our victory with FAKE NEWS. A sorry state!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 11 января 2017 г.
Most recently, Trump slammed the country's "dishonest" media outlets for misrepresenting his remarks, in which he condemned the activities of far-right groups after violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
