US President Donald Trump has stepped up his feud with the media by tweeting a mock video of himself tackling and repeatedly striking a man in a business suit, his face replaced by the CNN logo, outside a wrestling ring.

Key points: It is unclear who made the video but it appears to be doctored from 2007 footage

It is unclear who made the video but it appears to be doctored from 2007 footage Critics slammed Mr Trump's media attacks as encouraging autocrats around the world

Critics slammed Mr Trump's media attacks as encouraging autocrats around the world The video follows several days of sustained attacks by Mr Trump against the media

The video was a modified version of a 2007 appearance by Mr Trump at World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania 23 promotion, in which Mr Trump "takes down" WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

It is not clear who produced the mock video, which was posted on an alt-right forum on Reddit a few days before it was shared by the President, but it was posted from Mr Trump's account and retweeted by the official POTUS account.

As a presidential candidate and as commander-in-chief, Mr Trump has repeatedly made known his disdain for the media, calling it "the enemy of the American people" and frequently referring to mainstream news organisations as "failing" or "fake news".

Sorry, this video has expired Trump prompts cheers at evangelicals rally attacking news media

But observers said the video took his criticism to a new level and drew criticism on social media.

"It is a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters," CNN said in a statement.

"Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill, he is instead involved in juvenile behaviour far below the dignity of his office."

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was among those to criticise the video.

"Violence and violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected," she said, adding people should celebrate freedom of the press.

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CNN contributor and former Nixon White House Counsel, John Dean, said the video showed Mr Trump was "incompetent as president but is experienced at bullying".

"It's the story of his life," he wrote on Twitter.

White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert defended the tweet, saying: "No one would perceive that as a threat. I hope they don't."

"[Mr Trump is] beaten up in a way on cable platforms that he has a right to respond to," he added, referring to the coverage of the President by cable networks.

"Whatever the content of that tweet or any particular tweet he's demonstrated an ability to talk to the American people … he's a genuine president expressing himself genuinely."

'My use of social media is MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL'

Sorry, this video has expired Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough have become critics of Donald Trump's administration.

The latest tweet follows a series of attacks on the media and specific personalities by Mr Trump, prompting fears of violence against journalists from observers.

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On Thursday, Mr Trump attracted bipartisan condemnation over tweets in which he called co-host of the MSNBC Morning Joe program Mika Brzezinski "low I.Q. Crazy Mika", and said she was "bleeding badly from a face-lift" when she visited his Mar-A-Lago estate around New Year's Eve.

Dragging the attack into a third day, Mr Trump tweeted on Saturday: "Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad!"

Mr Trump continued his Twitter tirade into the evening with a series of tweets defending his use of social media and attacking the media.

"The FAKE & FRAUDULENT NEWS MEDIA is working hard to convince Republicans and others I should not use social media — but remember, I won the 2016 election," he said.

The President also said his use of Twitter was "MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL", not presidential, and introduced a new hashtag: #FraudNewsCNN.

Sorry, this video has expired Trump steps up feud with media

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