President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE on Thursday blasted The Wall Street Journal for an editorial criticizing the daily White House press briefings, complaining that the news outlet failed to give proper attention to the number of viewers they attract.

"The Wall Street Journal always 'forgets' to mention that the ratings for the White House Press Briefings are 'through the roof,'" Trump tweeted, referencing a New York Times piece that recently compared the number of viewers to "Monday Night Football" or "The Bachelor."

The president asserted that the briefings were the "only way for me to escape the Fake News & get my views across. WSJ is Fake News!"

The Wall Street Journal always “forgets” to mention that the ratings for the White House Press Briefings are “through the roof” (Monday Night Football, Bachelor Finale, according to @nytimes) & is only way for me to escape the Fake News & get my views across. WSJ is Fake News! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2020

In an opinion piece published Wednesday night titled "Trump’s Wasted Briefings," the Journal's editorial board bemoaned that the daily press conferences ostensibly intended to focus on the latest news surrounding the coronavirus had become "more about the many feuds of Donald J. Trump."

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The editorial board wrote that Trump's frequent attacks on the press, governors and his critics during the briefing were "off-key" given the severity of the pandemic that has killed thousands of people in the U.S.

The board urged Trump to cede center stage at the briefings to Vice President Pence and top health officials, who have regularly appeared at the briefings but have primarily waited to provide updates until the president delivers his own remarks.

Trump's tweet Thursday — which marked a rare shot from the president at the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal — highlighted the president's fixation on how his briefings are playing in the media. He frequently boasts about their popularity, and White House officials have complained about networks that do not air them in their entirety.

The president has typically opened the briefings with a prepared statement before taking questions from reporters. That format has led to sparring with journalists, criticism of likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden Joe BidenCast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response Biden tells CNN town hall that he has benefited from white privilege MORE and a question on Wednesday about the Netflix series "Tiger King."

Trump usually leaves the briefing room to allow Pence and health officials to give statements and answer questions for a shorter period of time.