Donald Trump Jr says networks profited from the 'Trump-Russia collusion narrative'
President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., on Sunday, slammed a segment of the media on their coverage of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, calling it "a blight on our republic."
Trump Jr., while talking to Fox News, said that although some journalists tried to be fair to his father, he believed that for most media outlets it had become a "business model" to attack the president and the White House. The president's son made the statement while speaking to 'Media Buzz's host Howard Kurtz.
"I think there were some people that tried to actually be fair,' Trump Jr. said. "When they were actually fair you'd see the other side just try to just obliterate them… it became a business model for most media to attack Donald Trump and to buy into this narrative. And if you didn't, you upset a lot of people and risked your career, you risked other things."
Trump Jr. also said that according to him the mainstream media outlets had done "irreparable damage" to themselves with the coverage of the Mueller investigation, and their coverage of the Trump administration overall.
"And so, the people who just bought into this hook, line, and sinker, who were selling it every day... They lied to the American public for two years," Trump Jr. added, echoing his father's sentiments.
"They did a terrible disservice to this country, to journalism as a profession," he said. "I think they've done irreparable damage to the faith that the average American is going to have in terms of mainstream journalism. I think it's a blight on our republic, on democracy, and on our Constitution, that's not going to come undone very quickly."
Trump Jr.'s comments came just days after President Trump based the media over its coverage of the four-page summary released by Attorney General William Barr of Mueller's report.
Barr, in his summary, stated that the special counsel had not found any evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Trump had tweeted: "The Fake News Media is going Crazy! They are suffering a major 'breakdown,' have ZERO credibility or respect, & must be thinking about going legit. I have learned to live with Fake News, which has never been more corrupt than it is right now. Someday, I will tell you the secret!"
The president's eldest son, during the segment, also admitted that his father's tweets sometimes can be problematic for the White House agenda. However, Trump Jr. added that he empathized with his father because he had also sent out some tweets which he now regrets.
"I think there are times where that certainly happens. I mean I'm guilty of it myself," Trump Jr told the news network.