Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenDHS IG won't investigate after watchdog said Wolf, Cuccinelli appointments violated law Appeals court sides with Trump over drawdown of immigrant protections Democrats smell blood with new DHS whistleblower complaint MORE said Friday that the press “plays an extraordinarily helpful role in helping us to save lives” when asked about the president’s attacks on the media.

Nielsen made the remarks in response to a question at a Council of Foreign Relations event about whether she agrees with President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE’s statement that the media is the “enemy of the people.” She said she believes the president was referring to “fake news.”

“There is something to be said, no one of us wants to read something that’s not true,” she said.

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The secretary went on to say that she believes that working with the press is “very important.”

“I really value the relationship with the press to help us get information out, certainly in disaster response,” she said.

“The press plays an extraordinarily helpful role in helping us to save lives, should we ever have an attack,” she said. “Even what we saw with the bomber and the shooter, the role that the press played was extraordinarily helpful from our perspective.”

“So I actually think it’s a very useful relationship from a DHS mission perspective, and one that I try to be thankful for and also find other ways to help get messages out,” Nielsen said.

The president has repeatedly attacked the media since the days of his first campaign.

He continued the attacks over this past week, and on Sunday tweeted that the “fake news” media was to blame for the “division and hatred that has been going on for so long in our Country.”

Trump tweeted the comment one day after a gunman opened fire in a synagogue in Pittsburgh, killing 11 people

And last week, Cesar Sayoc Jr. was arrested and charged with allegedly sending explosive devices to CNN and prominent Democratic figures, including the Clintons and Obamas.