Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said Thursday that the media have “earned” President Trump’s label of “the enemy of the people.”

Gingrich told Axios that Trump’s rhetoric against the media has helped deepen the partisan divide, but “they’ve earned it.”

Gingrich made similar comments to TMZ. They come a day after several top Democrats and CNN, all of whom have been critical of Trump, were mailed explosive devices.

“Look, I don’t think there’s a direct relationship of any kind,” Gingrich said of Trump’s attacks on his critics, adding that the people who were targeted have “been very hostile to conservatism.”

On Wednesday, Gingrich said anyone behind the bomb threats should “be locked up for the longest possible time as a signal that we will not tolerate threats to anyone.”

[Related: Trump blames the press for growing 'anger' in America]

