A majority of Americans believe the media has been too critical of President Trump and is exaggerating the problems within his administration, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released on Sunday.
The poll asked 1,000 people if "the news media and other elites" are exaggerating the problems with the Trump administration." Fifty-three percent of respondents agreed with that statement, while 45 percent disagreed. The poll also found that a majority of respondents, 51 percent, think the media has been too critical of Trump. Forty-one percent said the press has been fair to the president.
The Trump administration's latest spat with the media occurred on Friday, when White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer excluded several news organizations from an off-camera press gaggle. The New York Times, the Hill, Politico, BuzzFeed, the New York Daily News, the Los Angeles Times, and few other media outlets were not permitted to attend the event.
President Trump also announced over the weekend that he will not attend this year's White House Correspondents Dinner.
I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2017
A White House spokesperson said Sunday that Trump plans to "spend the night focused on what he can do to help better America" rather than socializing with "reporters and celebrities."
While the new poll showed a majority of Americans siding with Trump on media issues, only 44 percent of respondents said they approve of the job that he is doing while 48 percent disapprove.