President Donald Trump has consistently complained about the coverage he receives from media outlets, and especially TV networks, throughout his brief political career. | Nicolas Asfouri/Getty Images Trump: Media should get 'fake news trophy' for its distorted 'coverage of your favorite President (me)'

President Donald Trump lobbed a new attack at the news media on Monday, suggesting, seemingly tongue-in-cheek, that a “fake news trophy” be awarded to the TV network that features “the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me).”

“We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me),” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!”


In a second post, Trump attacked his onetime friend, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, linking to a post from White House social media director Dan Scavino attacking Scarborough’s show, “Morning Joe,” for airing a pre-recorded episode Friday without a disclaimer that the show was not live. Trump wrote that “the good news is that their ratings are terrible, nobody cares!”

Scarborough responded to criticism of the pre-recorded Friday episode online, writing on Twitter that the recorded commentary, which included discussion of Thanksgiving turkey and football games, was “over-the-top to be obvious.” He said his show had been “making fun of the practice” of pre-recorded programming “for years.”

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Scarborough also shot back directly at Trump, linking back to the president's "nobody cares" post and adding that "You care. Oh, how you care so much" with a laughing emoji at the end. In a second post, Scarborough called the president "our most obsessed viewer" and again added the laughing emoji.

Co-host Mika Brzezinski also weighed in, tweeting, "We finally know who the single-sourced anonymous viewer was who whined to The Washington Post. #MouthBreather" and linked to Trump's tweet. She appeared to be referencing a Washington Post story published Nov. 24 reporting on the pre-taped "Morning Joe" show. The Post story mentioned in its story that "a longtime viewer of the program" contacted the Post to ask whether the show was airing "fake news."

Trump has consistently complained about the coverage he receives from media outlets, and especially TV networks, throughout his brief political career. He has been especially critical of CNN, a network he has often characterized as trafficking in “fake news,” as well as of NBC News and its cable network, MSNBC. “Morning Joe” and its hosts, Scarborough and Brzezinski, have often been singled out for attacks by the president.

Fox News, where coverage of Trump is generally rosier, has been complimented by the president, who has trumpeted its coverage via his Twitter account. The network, whose opinion hosts offer almost unflinchingly positive takes on Trump’s presidency, has been offered more interviews with the president than others whose coverage the president dislikes.