UN expert criticizes Trump over his attacks on the media

BERLIN (AP) — Experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights are condemning what they describe as "strategic" attacks on the press by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump has broadly labeled news media the "enemy of the people" and regularly accuses reporters of spreading "fake news."

In a joint statement, two experts on freedom of expression — David Kaye, appointed by the U.N. body, and the Inter-American Commission's Edison Lanza — wrote that "these attacks run counter to the country's obligations to respect press freedom and international human rights law."

They said Trump's "attacks are strategic, designed to undermine confidence in reporting and raise doubts about verifiable facts." They added: "he has failed to show even once that specific reporting has been driven by any untoward motivations."