Trump campaign’s Brad Parscale calls media ‘criminal network’

Brad Parscale, who was recently demoted as the campaign manager of President Trump, called the media a “criminal network” and “America’s biggest enemy” in a Friday tweet, drawing criticism from journalists on social media.

“The media is a criminal network that has very few honest people,” Parscale tweeted to his more than 735,000 followers. “They have zero intention to tell the truth. I have seen so many live in fear of a negative story. I am happy I get to continue to fight with @realDonaldTrump against America’s biggest enemy, the media!”

The media is a criminal network that has very few honest people. They have zero intention to tell the truth. I have seen so many live in fear of a negative story.

I am happy I get to continue to fight with @realDonaldTrump against America’s biggest enemy, the media!

— Brad Parscale (@parscale) July 17, 2020

Parscale was replaced as campaign manager by Bill Stepien on Wednesday as polls continue to show the president trailing Joe Biden nationally and key battleground states. Parscale will stay on as the campaign’s digital strategist and will serve as a senior adviser.

Stepien had served as deputy campaign manager before being promoted.

The reaction to Parscale’s remarks about the media drew swift reaction from members of the Fourth Estate on social media.

Parscale bragged in this article about how he planned on flooding social media with misinformation, conspiracies and lies about Biden https://t.co/L9f7lQnLc1 https://t.co/Ta119mkmQy

— Pat Bagley (@Patbagley) July 17, 2020

The media — on all sides — is made up of humans, who make mistakes. It should be challenged & criticized. But to say the media is “America’s biggest enemy”? Bigger than Nazis, ISIS, Al Qaeda, Covid-19, murder hornets, people who drive slowly in the left hand lane? Insane! https://t.co/CwvaMJfYI6

— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) July 17, 2020

Calling the media “America’s biggest enemy” is unconscionable morally, but more importantly, absolutely ludicrous based on the reality of geopolitics. https://t.co/ylgisQWB0W

— Brad-Ban-The-Tanks-Polumbo ️‍ (@brad_polumbo) July 17, 2020

Trump announced Parscale’s new position as senior adviser to the campaign on Wednesday afternoon.

“I am pleased to announce that Bill Stepien has been promoted to the role of Trump campaign manager,” Trump said in a statement. “Brad Parscale, who has been with me for a very long time and has led our tremendous digital and data strategies, will remain in that role, while being a senior adviser to the campaign. Both were heavily involved in our historic 2016 win, and I look forward to having a big and very important second win together.”