Donald Trump has exploded over the 'disgusting and corrupt media' he says is holding him back after a New York Times article claimed his advisers had tried to rein in his 'incendiary' behavior.

The article, published Saturday, claims that Ivanka Trump, her husband and Trump's political team held an intervention on June 20 - and that he agreed to change his tune, but fell back into old habits.

Now the article was met with vitriol by the candidate, who described the newspaper as 'failing' and its remarks as 'false' Sunday, and blasted the wider media as 'corrupt'.

Furious: Donald Trump blasted the New York Times on Twitter Sunday after the paper claimed that his advisers held an intervention to tame his fiery persona

Intervention: The paper claimed that Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner (both pictured), had helped form the intervention, allegedly held June 20

Advisers: Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort (left) and New Jersey governor Chris Christie (right) were also said to be in the meeting that demanded Trump stop his insults and ad-libs

The article, titled 'Inside the Failing Mission to Tame Trump's Tongue,' cites four unnamed insiders as saying that Trump was forced into the intervention in June.

It says the group - which also included Chris Christie and Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort - demanded that he start using a teleprompter and 'end his freestyle digressions and insults.'

And, the article claims, he agreed - but followed that up with popularity-killing attacks on the parents of a slain Muslim US soldier and the alleged incitement of the assassination of Hillary Clinton.

But on Sunday morning the Republican candidate took to Twitter to denounce the article - and wider media.

'Fiction': Trump claimed the paper had fabricated the four unnamed sources who claimed that he had been told to tone down his fiery rhetoric

'False': Trump said the paper's claim that he had promised to hold back on his trademark invective and ad-libs was 'false' and that 'I am who I am'

'The failing @nytimes talks about anonymous sources and meetings that never happened,' the candidate fumed. 'Their reporting is fiction. The media protects Hillary!'

He continued: 'The failing @nytimes, which never spoke to me, keeps saying that I am saying to advisers that I will change. False, I am who I am-never said.'

He then turned his glare to the wider media, accusing 'bias' of stripping him of a 20 per cent lead on Hillary Clinton.

'Corrupt': The Republican candidate claimed that the media was responsible for his recent slump in the polls, which has been attributed to his attacks on a US soldier's parents

Bias: He said that the media is holding back on its depictions of his rallies, refusing to show 'real message... crowd size or enthusiasm'

'If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%.'

'My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm.'

Four hours later, Trump returned to the topic, ranting that the media is 'protecting' Clinton, whom he described as 'not a talented person or politician.'

'I am not only fighing Crooked Hillary, I am fighting the dishonest and corrupt media and her government protection process,' he fumed. 'People get it!'

He added: 'It is not "freedom of the press" when newspapers are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!'

'Dishonest': Trump began ranting again four hours later, saying that Clinton was being 'protected by the media,' whom he described as 'dishonest'

'Fight': He then went on to say he was fighting 'the dishonest and corrupt media' itself, although he has previously relied on the media heavily during his own campagin

'Freedom': Trump also complained that the media is 'allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false'

Dismissing the media marks a dramatic change for Trump, who has previously been happy to appear on camera and in print, and has boasted about his ubiquity.

In June, Trump boasted to Bloomberg that he didn't need to worry about raising money because it was so easy for him to get media appearances.

Explaining why he had stepped down from a planned $1billion fundraising goal, he said: ' There’s no reason to raise that. I just don’t think I need nearly as much money as other people need because I get so much publicity.

'I get so many invitations to be on television. I get so many interviews, if I want them.'

And he's been happy in the past to play along with dubious media reports when it suited him - most memorably in May, when he promoted a National Enquirer story that linked Ted Cruz's father, Rafael, to the JFK assassination.

'You know his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald being shot,' Trump told Fox & Friends.

'The whole thing is ridiculous ... and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it.'

Cruz had denied the claims, calling them 'nuts' and 'kooky.'

Rumors: Trump has championed media whose stories he likes, such as when the National Enquirer linked Lee Harvey Oswald (center) to Ted Cruz's father (supposedly far left)

'Dishonest': At a rally in Connecticut Saturday, Trump told supporters that the New York Times was run by 'the most dishonest people' and that he might revoke their press access

Trump had railed against The New York Times the day before his Twitter rants, at a rally in the deep blue state of Connecticut, telling supporters that he might revoke its press access.

'These are the most dishonest people,' Trump said. 'Maybe we’ll start thinking about taking their press credentials away from them.'

He was referring to the credentials that allow reporters access to press-only areas at his campaign events.

He has already banned other outlets, including The Washington Post.

As well as its remarks about the intervention, The New York Times article also says that Trump has continued to ignore the advice of those around him, telling them that he has a better understanding of polls and boasting about the size of his crowds.

'Founder': Trump also told his Connecticut audience that he believed Barack Obama had founded ISIS

But privately, the article claims, he has become 'sullen and erratic,' complaining that he should not have listened to demands to tone down his rhetoric.

'He broods about his souring relationship with the news media, calling Mr. Manafort several times a day to talk about specific stories,' the article claims.

It also claims that 20 Republicans who are close to, or in communication with Trump describe him as 'exhausted, frustrated and still bewildered by fine points of the political process and why his incendiary approach seems to be sputtering.'

Intervention or no, Trump continued his form for headline-catching remarks at his Connecticut rally, when he repeated a much-derided claim that Barack Obama founded ISIS.

'It’s the opinion of myself and a lot of people that he was the founder,' he said, repeating a remark that has been denied by those on both sides of the aisle.