linguistic:paraphrasing
Relationship with the press

Trump sought media attention throughout his career, sustaining a "love-hate" relationship with the press. In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries. The New York Times writer Amy Chozick wrote in 2018 that Trump's media dominance enthralled the public and created "must-see TV."

As a candidate and as president, Trump frequently accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people ". In 2018, journalist Lesley Stahl recounted Trump's saying he intentionally discredited the media "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you".

As president, Trump mused about revoking the press credentials of journalists he viewed as critical. His administration moved to revoke the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts. The Trump White House held about a hundred formal press briefings in 2017, declining by half during 2018 and to two in 2019.

Trump also deployed the legal system to intimidate the press. In early 2020, the Trump campaign sued The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about Russian election interference. All the suits were dismissed.