CNN: Ben Stein Says Trump Is Media's Punching Bag

Members of the so-called “mainstream media” continue to rage after several news outlets were barred from an off-camera “gaggle” at the White House on Friday.

On Saturday, respected economist Ben Stein, who was also a speechwriter and lawyer for President Nixon was on CNN.  As reported by the Independent Journal Review, Stein was asked by CNN host Brianna Keilar for his thoughts on the ban and Trump's ongoing references of the media as “the enemy.”

Stein not only defended Trump, he slammed the media, as well. Referring to the media as an “unelected aristocracy,” he let 'er rip:

“I don't blame Mr. Trump one bit for doing it. He's a punching bag, day after day after day in what's called the mainstream media.”

Keilar persisted, “did you hear yesterday what he said at CPAC, where he's talking about the media? (Trump called CNN the Clinton News Network) He called the media the ”enemy of the American people."

Stein was more than ready.

"I wouldn’t say all the media are the enemy, but look, every day you pick up The New York Times. Everyday they’re slamming, slamming, slamming him.

And CNN, specifically?

"I’m a great fan of CNN. I watch it quite faithfully every day. CNN is slamming him, slamming him, slamming him. Every day they are looking for a scandal. 

They are turning the woods upside down looking for a scandal. They are hoping, I think, to do what they did to Nixon a long time ago… I don’t blame him for being furious at them. He's got a lot of company. 

A lot of people are not great fans of the media — they see the media as an unelected aristocracy [...] who are dumping all over the mainstream of America, and I think Mr. Trump has a lot of company."