Trump attacks US media at 100-day rally

The US media came in for another tongue-lashing from president Donald Trump on Saturday when he marked his first 100 days in office with a campaign-style rally in Pennsylvania.

Choosing to skip the traditional White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, Trump was surrounded by cheering supporters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

He told the crowd that “a large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation’s capital right now”, referring to the Correspondents’ dinner he had boycotted adding that “I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington’s swamp”.

Trump is the first president to skip the White House Correspondents’ Dinner since Ronald Reagan in 1981.

His decision to boycott the event was due to what he said was unfair treatment by the press.

“We would all agree the media deserves a very, very big fat failing grade. By contrast, for the last 100 days my administration has been delivering every single day for the great citizens of our country”, he said.

President Trump chided the Obama administration for “rushing” to sign the Paris climate change agreement.

“Our government rushed to join international agreements where the United States pays the costs and bears the burdens while other countries get the benefit and pay nothing. This includes deals like the one-sided Paris Climate Accord”.

He then indicated that he would be “making a big decision on the Paris Accord over the next two weeks and we will see what happens”.

Trump who has failed to push through some of his key campaign promises such as repealing Obamacare, imposing a travel ban and building a wall along the border with Mexico, assured the crowd that his promises would be kept.

“Year after year, you pleaded for Washington to enforce our laws as illegal immigration surged, refugees flooded in and lax vetting threatened your family’s safety and security. Your pleas have finally been – oh don’t worry, we are going to have the wall. Don’t worry about it,” he said.