Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed Tuesday that the national media is no longer in the business of reporting news on the 2016 election, and is only interested in pushing a consensus against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Pointing to recent criticism of NBC anchor Matt Lauer from his colleagues in the media, Limbaugh said it was an example of the press attempting to tip the scales in Democrat Hillary Clinton's favor.

"Because, you see, there isn't any media today," said Limbaugh on his show Tuesday. "There isn't any news. The purpose of media today is to keep reporting and reporting until the viewpoint they want you to have, you have it. It's about creating opinion. It's about establishing and creating opinion. It's not about bias, although you can't do that without bias. It's not about lack of objectivity. The media's purpose now is to make and create the opinions that they want people to have."



Lauer fell under scrutiny from media critics and reporters last week for failing to aggressively challenge Trump during a presidential forum in which Clinton also participated. Some of his critics said Lauer posed tougher questions to Clinton than Trump.

"The news is: You've got to go for the jugular of the person you don't want to be elected," Limbaugh said. "In this case, Trump. And if you don't do that, and you're in the [drive-by media], if you don't do that, your fellow drive-bys and establishment members are going to savage you."