Michael Collins

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

WASHINGTON – Appearing on CNN, Rep. Marsha Blackburn refused four times Monday to say whether she agreed with President Trump that the press is the enemy of the American people.

Blackburn, a Brentwood Republican who was a member of Trump’s transition team, said it’s important “to have a press that is a free and open press.”

But asked four times whether she agreed with Trump’s characterization that the press is the “enemy,” Blackburn dodged each time.

“It would not be my choice of words,” she conceded. “It would not be how I expressed frustration with the press.”

Asked if Trump had gone too far, Blackburn said, “I would not say he went too far.”

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Trump, who constantly bashes the media and labels news outlets such as CNN and the New York

Times as “fake news,” escalated his war with the press on Friday when he tweeted that media “is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people. SICK!”

Blackburn said many people feel that the news is biased and that they get only opinions from certain news programs, anchors or networks, so they seek news sources or shows “that are going to allow them to have a little bit of give and take.”

Trump’s attack on the media brought a rebuke from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who said "the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press." He added: "I'm not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I'm just saying we need to learn the lessons of history."

Reach Michael Collins at 703-854-8927, at mcollins2@gannett.com or on Twitter at @mcollinsNEWS