NBC's Todd Slams WH Spox for Refusing to Condemn 'Stalin-Era' ‘Enemy of the People’ Slogan

Thursday on MSNBC’s “MTP Daily,” host Chuck Todd gave his take on CNN’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s unsuccessful attempts to get White House press secretary Sarah Sanders to say the press was not the “enemy of the people” at today’s briefing. Todd said, “Tonight I’m obsessed with President Trump’s repeated Stalin-era assertion that the press is, quote, ‘the enemy of the people.’ Does he really believe that? Or is it an applause line for people like this—those who attend Trump rallies—in part because it gives him an opportunity to show reporters who is number one in their hearts when it comes to the media. It’s often up to the White House press office, of course, to clean up Mr. Trump’s statements. Sarah Sanders got that chance this afternoon when a reporter from CNN, Jim Acosta, asked her directly—is the press the enemy of the people? Here’s her response.” Todd then played the clip of Sanders’ answer. Sanders said,”The president has made his position known. It’s ironic, Jim, that not only you and the media attack the president for his rhetoric, when they frequently lowered the level of conversation in this country. Repeatedly the media resorts to personal attacks without any