Donald Trump’s nephew, Fred Trump III, has urged news organisations to be more selective in how they cover the US president, arguing that not every provocation deserves extensive media attention.
Fred made the comments in a post on X while discussing the ongoing tension between the Trump administration and several news organisations.
He suggested that limiting attention could be an effective response to some of the president’s statements and actions.
His remarks came after Trump announced restrictions on CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s access to the White House.
Fred recalls 1990 family incident
Fred Trump III explained his position by recalling an incident involving Donald Trump during a family gathering in 1990.
According to Fred, Donald had appeared on the front page of The New York Post for eight consecutive days. He said the headlines were personally negative for his uncle.
Fred recalled that Donald appeared unhappy during a Father’s Day family gathering.
He said he asked his uncle Robert Trump what was bothering Donald.
According to Fred’s recollection, Robert told him that Donald was upset because he was not on the Post cover that day.
Fred said the incident remained in his memory and shaped his view of the importance his uncle places on media coverage.
‘Not every provocation deserves amplification’
Fred said the media should continue reporting important developments involving the president.
However, he argued that news organisations do not necessarily need to amplify every controversial statement or action.
He said the most effective response to a demand for attention can sometimes be to withhold that attention.
Fred also said he had previously raised the idea with MS NOW White House correspondent Vaughn Hillyard.
His comments were made as the administration faced a growing dispute with several major news outlets.
CNN skips Trump’s UN address
The discussion also came after CNN decided not to broadcast Trump’s latest address to the United Nations live.
Before the speech, Trump confronted CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins and other journalists outside the White House.
Trump questioned why CNN was covering him after the network had reportedly decided not to air his UN speech.
Collins responded that the United Nations had granted the journalists access.
Trump continued to object to CNN’s coverage of him.
The incident came shortly after his administration restricted access for several media organisations.
Trump bans three news outlets
Trump announced on Truth Social that CNN, MS NOW and Politico had been banned from the White House.
The president accused the organisations of publishing what he described as false reports.
He also warned that other media organisations could face similar restrictions.
The three organisations have since taken legal action over the decision.
The dispute has renewed questions about the relationship between the Trump administration and the US media.
Fred Trump III’s comments add another dimension to the controversy because they focus not on whether the media should cover Trump, but on how much attention should be given to his individual statements and provocations.
For Fred, consequential developments should remain newsworthy, while some presidential controversies may not require further amplification.