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Republican Senator Jeff Flake has slammed President Trump for what he views as the latter's "damaging" references towards the mainstream media, as reported by The Hill.

Flake on President Trump and the Press

Earlier today, Flake shared the following remarks with ABC:

"When you reflexively refer to the press as the enemy of the people or fake news, that has real damage. It has real damage to our standing in the world. I noted how bad it is for a President to take what was popularized by Joseph Stalin, the enemy of the people, to refer to the press."

Flake is not the only person in politics to opine the aforesaid viewpoints. Many liberals and other critics of President Trump and echoed these sentiments. The President's frequent criticism of the media has encouraged his detractors to compare him to infamous dictators like Stalin and Hitler. However, President Trump and his supporters maintain that the media often provides erroneous information. In many regards, they are correct. There are several, factual instances to support the claims from both the President and his base.

The Reality of Fake News

Despite Flake's criticism of President Trump's remarks regarding the mainstream media, there are times when the press fails to release accurate reports. The most recent example of this is when the Wall Street Journal alleged that President Trump said 'I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un.' In reality, the President stated "I'd have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un."

Both President Trump and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders pointed this out via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/952525384242876416

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/952526145064505345

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/952323750401331202

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/952405070955544576

The above example is one of many reasons why the press is frequently dubbed as "fake news." Therefore, comparing President Trump to infamous dictators does not suffice in the eyes of many Trump supporters. Ultimately, the media has more than earned the nickname of fake news, affirms the President's base.

Also, it is worth noting that despite the misreport, the Wall Street Journal has yet to issue a retraction or an apology. Shortly after the President's tweets, the publication stated their decision to "stand by what [they] reported."

https://twitter.com/WiredSources/status/952414875959078912

Senator Flake has yet to comment on the latest controversy surrounding the Wall Street Journal. However, the aforementioned report has fanned the flames regarding the validity of assertions of "fake news."

https://twitter.com/ClassySnobbb/status/952585738012504065

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/952585549856026624