Trump Lashes Out At Drudge Over “Fake News Report On Mini-Strokes”; Suggests Selfish, Ulterior Motives

President Trump lashed out at the Drudge Report on Tuesday, after the formerly right-leaning news aggregator headlined a rumor from New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, who claimed that Trump had suffered a series of small strokes last year, requiring Vice President Mike Pence to be on ‘standby’ in case Trump was incapacitated.

“Drudge didn’t support me in 2016, and I hear he doesn’t support me now. Maybe that’s why he is doing poorly,” Trump claimed in a Tuesday tweet, adding “His Fake News report on Mini-Strokes is incorrect. Possibly thinking about himself, or the other party’s “candidate”.

Drudge didn’t support me in 2016, and I hear he doesn’t support me now. Maybe that’s why he is doing poorly. His Fake News report on Mini-Strokes is incorrect. Possibly thinking about himself, or the other party’s “candidate”. https://t.co/9FraoFqOKq

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2020

Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted “Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes,” adding “Never happened to THIS candidate – FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!”

It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes. Never happened to THIS candidate – FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2020

Of course, it’s perhaps a bit of a stretch for Trump to suggest that Drudge wasn’t pulling for him in 2016. Could this be ‘4D chess’ to force a discussion on Drudge’s clear ideological shift over the past year?

In April, President Trump retweeted conservative journalist Paul Sperry, who called a Drudge Report headline about coronavirus peaking “disingenuous,” to which Trump said “I gave up on Drudge (a really nice guy) long ago, as have many others. People are dropping off like flies!” His comment was a reference to conservative figures growing less popular, and Drudge losing web traffic, after breaking with Trump, and not the rising death toll in the U.S. from coronavirus.”

I gave up on Drudge (a really nice guy) long ago, as have many others. People are dropping off like flies! https://t.co/L77SXS2mE8

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2020

Drudge responded, telling CNN “The past 30 days has been the most eyeballs in Drudge Report’s 26 year-history,” adding “Heartbreaking that it has been under such tragic circumstances.”

Former Drudge employee Joseph Curl suggested that Matt Drudge simply wants ‘more turmoil’ and ‘doesn’t give a shit about America.’

This is pretty big coming from someone like Curl, who worked closely with Drudge not that long ago. https://t.co/pIK5w1Z3kc

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) August 30, 2020