President Donald Trump's tweet followed two others where he appeared to take issue with recently published opinion column critical of his diplomatic efforts in China. | Saul Loeb/Getty Images Trump slams 'dumb' New York Times over foreign policy

President Donald Trump took jabs at the "naive" and "dumb" New York Times on Wednesday, saying the newspaper is “weak and ineffective” on foreign policy.

“It is actually hard to believe how naive (or dumb) the Failing @nytimes is when it comes to foreign policy...weak and ineffective!” the president tweeted.


His tweet followed two others where he appeared to take issue with recently published opinion column critical of his diplomatic efforts in China.

"The failing @nytimes hates the fact that I have developed a great relationship with World leaders like Xi Jinping, President of China," the president tweeted Wednesday, fresh of a return from his 13-day diplomatic trip to Asia that included a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. "They should realize that these relationships are a good thing, not a bad thing. The U.S. is being respected again. Watch Trade!"

It was unclear what specific Times article the president was responding to. But earlier Wednesday Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman penned a piece criticizing President Trump for allowing himself to be manipulated by Xi on trade, an issue the president has made a priority in his overseas diplomatic talks.

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"Xi has been brilliant at playing Trump, plying him with flattery and short-term trade concessions and deflecting him from the real structural trade imbalances with China," Friedman wrote in an op-ed titled, "China Could Sell Trump the Brooklyn Bridge."

The president, who has frequently slammed the Times for what he perceives as unfair White House coverage, took a swipe at one of his other preferred media targets earlier Wednesday, lamenting on Twitter that he was "forced to watch" CNN while traveling abroad.

"While in the Philippines I was forced to watch @CNN, which I have not done in months, and again realized how bad, and FAKE, it is. Loser!” he wrote.

