Jake Tapper criticizes Trump for controversial tweets — then it backfires big time

Popular CNN anchor Jake Tapper took to his Twitter account Saturday to criticize President Donald Trump and his habit of using Twitter to air out his grievances with the media.

In a series of four tweets, Tapper rebuked Trump for continually using his Twitter account as a platform for "attacking journalists" instead of discussing policy issues that are important to Americans.

Tapper wrote:

More than 10% of tweets [from] @realDonaldTrump as president have been attacking journalists. Far fewer discussing troops, opioid crisis, Syria...North Korea, Assad, punishment of Russia for election interference, how to deal with debt/deficit, famine in Africa, education, plans to rebuild US crumbling infrastructure, tweets specifically using the word 'jobs,' what to do in Ukraine, crisis in Venezuela, attacking media does nothing for the troop in harm's way, the hungry child in Appalachia or inner city, the unemployed factory worker.

4/ attacking media does nothing for the troop in harm's way, the hungry child in Appalachia or inner city, the unemployed factory worker.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 1, 2017

And Tapper may have a point. After all, at least on Saturday, Trump, in several different tweets, attacked CNN as "garbage journalism" and also criticized MSNBC anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, even labeling Brzezinski "dumb as a rock Mika."

It wasn't the first time Trump has used his Twitter account to attack the media and it certainly wasn't the last. In fact, Trump has openly attacked the media using Twitter for years, and he ramped those attacks up during his campaign for president and even higher as president.

For example, according to Trump, traditionally trusted news outlets like CNN, NBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post and others are "fake news" and "failing."

But it didn't take long on Saturday for Tapper's criticisms of Trump to backfire. Indeed, many, in reply to Tapper, inquired just how much time CNN has devoted to covering the exact same topics that Tapper criticized Trump for not tweeting about.

More than 10% of "journalist" coverage has been attacking Trump. Far fewer discussing troops, opioid crisis, Syria. See the connection?

— ᖇεɗ ᑭίιι ᖇεѵσιutίση (@RedPillRe) July 1, 2017

think maybe because journos attacking him? just maybe?

— John Gibson (@GibsonRadio) July 1, 2017

What % of @CNN & #MSM coverage r attacks on Trump & his Admin vs reports on policies & agenda? Stop crying foul when YOU are worse offender.

— Ready For Change! (@ConservTXmom) July 1, 2017

Most journalists and most networks have spent their LIVES attacking conservatives, lying about Mitt/Bush etc... KARMA!

— Autry (@Autry) July 1, 2017

More than 10% of tweets fr @realDonaldTrump as president have been attacking journalists. Far fewer discussing troops, opioid crisis, Syria pic.twitter.com/4WwiyLGEg1

— Acosta's Tantrum™ (@EF517_V2) July 1, 2017

Flip that around to how many journalists tweets have attacked Trump and not focused on Syria, Opioid crisis, #KatesLaw

— Tasha Stevens (@tstevensradio) July 1, 2017

The Commander in Chief has every right to stick up for himself & call out networks like yours for blatantly attacking peace/truth in the US

— Angelo Ray Gomez (@AngeloRayGomez) July 1, 2017

While 90% of @cnn airtime talking about Russia collusion story that they know is false.

— Gary Carlo (@GaryACarlo) July 1, 2017

More than 67% of what has been aired by CNN and you has been about unsubstantiated information but you continue to push false info not truth

— Mark Geist (@MarkGeistSWP) July 1, 2017

Just as many pointed out, a recent study conducted by the Media Research Center found that NBC, ABC and CBS devoted 55 percent of their nightly broadcast time to the unfounded Trump-Russia collusion story since the appointment of Robert Mueller as special prosecutor in May.

It's not clear how much time CNN has devoted to the story, but a senior CNN producer revealed in an undercover video released by Project Veritas last week that CNN CEO Jeff Zucker urged CNN journalists to continue pursuing the Trump-Russia collusion narrative because it was driving ratings.

A Harvard Study released earlier this year also found that more than 90 percent of CNN's coverage of Trump's first 100 days as president was negative.