It wasn’t immediately clear what provoked Trump’s criticism of the “Fake News media.” | AP Photo Trump attacks 'fake news' media while congratulating Fox News

In a series of early morning tweets Thursday, President Donald Trump criticized one of his favorite targets — the media — while at the same time congratulating Fox News for high ratings.

“The Fake News media is officially out of control. They will do or say anything in order to get attention - never been a time like this!” Trump tweeted, following shortly afterward with another post stating, “Congratulations to @foxandfriends on its unbelievable ratings hike.”


It wasn’t immediately clear what provoked Trump’s criticism of the “Fake News media.” But this week, media outlets reported that Fox News was the most-watched cable news channel in April. The high ratings come despite major newsroom shakeups within Fox – most notably the ousting of longtime personality Bill O’Reilly and Fox News co-president Bill Shine.

Trump often criticizes what he calls the “fake news media,” many times singling out the New York Times and CNN. During a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night, Trump harshly criticized the media as a “disaster” and mentioned both news outlets by name.

The White House Correspondents' Dinner was also held Saturday night, and Trump’s attack brought swift condemnation from White House Correspondents' Association President Jeff Mason, who said, “freedom of the press is a building block of our democracy. Undermining that by seeking to delegitimize journalists is dangerous to a healthy republic.”