"There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media," Zucker said. "The president, and especially the White House press secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that."
US President Donald Trump has long been vehement in his criticism of what he often calls the "fake news media" — and it of him. Just last week, Trump praised Rep. Greg Gianforte's (R-MT) 2017 assault on Ben Jacobs, a reporter for the Guardian, during a rally in Montana. He referred to the media as "the enemy of the people" in 2017 and has made countless statements and tweets calling various news outlets dishonest, fake or out to undermine his administration. On Tuesday, POTUS launched a Twitter attack on CNN and several other media outlets, calling the organizations the "Fake News media."
Several hours after the bomb scares on Wednesday, Trump told reporters at a White House press conference that it was time for people to "come together" and that "acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America." Trump had been criticized immediately following the discovery of the mail bombs for his delayed response.
On Wednesday morning, packages containing "potentially destructive devices" and addressed to to former CIA Director John Brennan at the New York CNN office, a New York residence of former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (who the package was addressed to), former US President Barack Obama, former US Attorney General Eric Holder, and billionaire and major Democratic donor George Soros were discovered. Some were delivered to the addresses, others were intercepted before reaching their destinations. None of the packages exploded.
Democratic Congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi said they found Trump's statements on the suspicious packages inadequate in their own statement Wednesday, saying that they rang hollow considering POTUS' past remarks condoning violence.