French ambassador: US press ‘so anti-Trump that I do understand’ Trump going direct to the people

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

French ambassador: US press ‘so anti-Trump that I do understand’ Trump going direct to the people

Gérard Araud, the outgoing French ambassador to the United States, said he sympathizes with President Trump and how he handles the “anti-Trump” press.

“The press, to be frank, is so anti-Trump that I do understand that the natural reaction of Trump is to go over the head of the press,” Araud told the New York Times.

Trump, who Araud described as a “big mouth,” has long railed against the “fake news” media. Some of his favorite targets are the New York Times, CNN, and NBC, particularly over their coverage of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and unflattering reports about him or his administration.

Although Trump does agree to interviews with the press, particularly Fox News, he often gets his message across to his supporters through Twitter or rallies.

Araud compared changes in the Republican Party under Trump to shifts in conservative parties in Western Europe. Araud said Republicans used to focus on free trade and limited government spending, but now are “shifting to protectionism, nationalism, defense of the identity.”