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McCain to Trump: Stop Aiding World Dictators With ‘Fake News’ Attacks

President’s attacks are encouraging repressive regimes abroad, the senator warns.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Tuesday called out President Trump for his “unrelenting attacks” on the press in an op-ed for The Washington Post, saying he’s aiding dictators worldwide by putting the crosshairs on journalists. “Whether Trump knows it or not,” McCain wrote, his constant cry of “fake news” directed at “reporters and news outlets whose coverage he disagrees with” is being used by repressive regimes to crack down on the media. Referencing a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, McCain noted that 21 instances of journalists being charged for “fake news” were recorded in 2017. “The phrase ‘fake news’—granted legitimacy by an American president—is being used by autocrats to silence reporters, undermine political opponents, stave off media scrutiny and mislead citizens,” McCain wrote. He went on to slam the Trump administration for condemning violence against journalists abroad while Trump “continues his unrelenting attacks on the integrity of American journalists and news outlets.”