--- title: Donald Trump Says the Media Is Corrupt and Has Rigged the Election description: Yes, the media can help your business. But reporters can also dig for information that’s bad for your reputation. image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Trump_on_stage.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/donald-trump-says-the-media-is-currupt-and-has-rigged-the-election#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Donald Trump Says the Media Is Corrupt and Has Rigged the Election October 17th, 2016 4 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![Trump_on_stage.jpg](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trump_on_stage.jpg?width=1397&height=893&name=Trump_on_stage.jpg) On Saturday, I attended a Donald Trump rally in Portsmouth, NH as part of my ongoing study and analysis of the marketing aspects of the U.S. Presidential election. It was my second Trump rally (the first was prior to the New Hampshire primary). During this election cycle I also attended rallies with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, John Kasich, and Marco Rubio. For a marketing geek there’s no better ongoing case study. At the end of the Trump rally, I was dismayed to see dozens of his supports approach the press section at the back of the venue and angrily confront members of the media covering the event. How did it come to this? For months, Trump used the real-time media as his most effective campaign strategy. Now he’s denouncing the media, calling them “total losers” while claiming the election is rigged and the media is corrupt. No matter what kind of organization you work with, the mainstream media can provide a boost by talking up what you’re doing. Showcasing your customer, talking up your product launch (Apple is brilliant at this), and quoting your CEO in an industry story are the positive things that marketers and PR pros love from the media. But the media also reports stories that are negative to your brand. ## Donald Trump used real-time marketing to win the GOP nomination ![Trump_supporters.jpg](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trump_supporters.jpg?width=410&name=Trump_supporters.jpg "Trump_supporters.jpg")Leading up to the primaries, there’s no question that Donald Trump had a better command of real-time media than any other candidate for President. And that is a big reason that he secured the GOP nomination. Trump trained mainstream media reporters to follow his Twitter feed for quotes on the news of the day. Trump understands [newsjacking](https://www.newsjacking.com/), jumping into real-time stories from the podium. He used Twitter more often than other candidates and he was faster to respond to what’s in the news than other candidates. The media constantly picked up on his take on the news, giving him tons of coverage. In contrast to Trump, early front-runner Jeb Bush played by the rules that got his brother elected the 43rd President more than a decade ago. Other Republican candidates were doing the same. But that was a different era. Back then, massive amounts of money spent on television advertising was the best way to influence voters. Now real-time media is the best way. In August 2015 when most pundits had written Trump off as not having a chance, I conducted a detailed analysis of Trump’s use of Twitter and real-time media. Indeed, between [my analysis](https://www.webinknow.com/this-years-score-bushs-advertising-3-trumps-real-time-39) that August and the early primary elections in the first part of 2016, Trump averaged 18 tweets per day and picked up a remarkable two million new followers in less than five months. Trump’s tweets were timely and tied to the news of the moment. According to Media Matters for America, Trump generated 22 hours and 46 minutes of free airtime from May 1, 2015 to December 15, 2015 on Fox News alone. That’s more than primary candidates Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, and Marco Rubio combined. And according to [mediaQuant](http://www.mediaquant.net/2016/04/trump-outdoes-himself-again-earning-487-million-in-monthly-media-value/), near the end of the primary season in March 2015, Trump’s campaign had totaled $2.4 billion in earned media value, far surpassing the other Republican candidates. I’ve argued for months that this is what won him the nomination. ## Now Trump calls the media “Total Losers” ![Trump_drug_test.jpg](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trump_drug_test.jpg?width=410&name=Trump_drug_test.jpg "Trump_drug_test.jpg")When the media is helping you, it’s great. But in the past few weeks, Trump’s relationship with the reporters and editors who propelled him to victory in the primaries has soured. Now journalists are writing and broadcasting stories that are not what the campaign wants to see, most notably [recorded conversations on the Access Hollywood bus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html). [On the stump in Portsmouth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0zcPVchuoI), Trump made news by challenging Hillary Clinton to take a drug test before the next debate. This was reported by hundreds of media outlets over the next 24 hours, benefiting the Trump campaign. At the same time, Trump had nothing but bad things to say about the press. At 8:50 into his talk, Trump told his supporters that the media is against them. "The election is being rigged by corrupt media," Trump said. Soon after, the audience broke into a chant "CNN sucks! CNN sucks! CNN sucks!" while Trump flashed a thumbs-up. Later, 21 minutes in, Trump said, "Don't forget. I wasn't supposed to win. I was a businessman with no experience, but I was always very political. The geniuses back there,” at this Trump is pointing to the press section at the back of the rally site. “Charles Krauthammer, there's a real winner, Charles Krauthammer says, 'Donald Trump has no experience and he has no chance.'” Trump then calls members of the media "Total losers." At this point some Trump supporters have turned around to face the press section and are booing. A few are pointing and gesturing. At the conclusion of the rally, many Trump supporters, fired up by Trump’s portrayal of the media, approached the press section to shout at the reporters.  ![Trump_supprters_confront_media.jpg](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trump_supprters_confront_media.jpg?width=745&height=568&name=Trump_supprters_confront_media.jpg) Yes, the media can help your business. But if reporters are digging for information on a story that’s bad for your reputation – VW emissions testing, Wells Fargo cross-selling accounts, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fire stories come to mind – it doesn’t mean that you can dismiss their work. ## Three weeks until election day! This election season has been an absolutely fascinating marketing case study. We have three weeks to go until Election Day. There is much more to come. Hang on tight because it will be quite a ride. If you are attending HubSpot’s [#Inbound16](http://www.inbound.com) event, please consider swinging by my presentation *Trump, Bush, Clinton, & Sanders: How Inbound Marketing and Inbound Sales Decided the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election* on Wednesday, Nov 9, from 1:00 to 1:45. My talk is the day after Election Day! There will be a lot to discuss in just 45 minutes. ***Important note: This is a marketing blog, not a political blog. I am not commenting on any candidate’s views on the issues nor am I publicly supporting any candidate. I write about the US Presidential election because it is a massive marketing case study playing out for several years, not because I voice my support for any candidate over another.*** For more of my posts about US Presidential election marketing going back three election cycles, go [here](https://www.webinknow.com/topic/us-presidential-campaign-marketing-pr). [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/413105/e5b62938-97f3-40a1-9bc9-f10843b48ec1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/413105/e5b62938-97f3-40a1-9bc9-f10843b48ec1) [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Public Speaking ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/public-speaking) [ Public Relations ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/public-relations) [ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies) [ Real-Time Marketing & PR ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/real-time-marketing-pr) [ Marketing ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/marketing) [ US Presidential Campaign Marketing & PR ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/us-presidential-campaign-marketing-pr) [ Research and Analysis ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/research-and-analysis) [ Newsjacking ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/newsjacking) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20speaking%20BM%20LAS.jpg?width=2048&height=1060&name=DMS%20speaking%20BM%20LAS.jpg) ### Book Me to Speak for Free! (Plus... Some Upcoming In-Person Events) April 29th, 2026|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/book-me-to-speak-for-free-plus-here-are-some-of-my-upcoming-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/your%20tedx%20talk.jpg?width=1536&height=828&name=your%20tedx%20talk.jpg) ### So, You Want to Do a TEDx Talk? March 9th, 2026|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/so-you-want-to-do-a-tedx-talk) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Peggy%20Sullivan%20TEDx.jpg?width=813&height=449&name=Peggy%20Sullivan%20TEDx.jpg) ### Breaking Free from Busyness: How Peggy Sullivan's TEDx Talk Inspires a Life Beyond the Hamster Wheel December 3rd, 2024|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/breaking-free-from-busyness-how-peggy-sullivans-tedx-talk-inspires-a-life-beyond-the-hamster-wheel) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kamala%20Harris%20is%20a%20Bob%20Marley%20fan-1.jpg?width=1386&height=935&name=Kamala%20Harris%20is%20a%20Bob%20Marley%20fan-1.jpg) ### Kamala Harris Told Me She’s a Music Fan and Is Especially Fond of Bob Marley October 7th, 2024|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/kamala-harris-told-me-shes-a-music-fan-and-is-especially-fond-of-bob-marley) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trump%20Biden%20shutterstock_2384408337.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=Trump%20Biden%20shutterstock_2384408337.jpg) ### US Presidential Debate: Hype, Spin, Memes, and Newsjacking June 24th, 2024|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/us-presidential-debate-hype-spin-memes-and-newsjacking) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Bill%20Walton%20MLGD.jpg?width=803&height=465&name=Bill%20Walton%20MLGD.jpg) ### Shine On, Dream On, Play On Bill Walton May 28th, 2024|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/shine-on-dream-on-play-on-bill-walton) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/with%20logo.jpg?width=2500&height=1875&name=with%20logo.jpg) ### An Incredible Ten Years with the Tony Robbins Business Mastery Community January 17th, 2024|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/an-incredible-ten-years-with-the-tony-robbins-business-mastery-community) [![HubSpot CMO, Kipp Bodnar and Katie Burke, HubSpot's people and communications leader,](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Obama%20INBOUND_2022_OBAMA_BESAKOF-14_63787.jpg?width=1024&height=683&name=Obama%20INBOUND_2022_OBAMA_BESAKOF-14_63787.jpg) ### 'Show Don’t Tell' Makes HubSpot’s INBOUND22 Conference Awesome September 14th, 2022|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/show-dont-tell-inbound22) [![Me presenting at Tony Robbins Business Mastery. Bottom: Me moderating a the “Future Proof Marketing” panel at RECon MENA in Dubai in October 2018, an event organized by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres.](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMScott%20speaking%202-1.jpg?width=1500&height=990&name=DMScott%20speaking%202-1.jpg) ### Don’t Be Boring! Top 10 Ways to Effectively Moderate a Panel Discussion September 6th, 2022|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/dont-be-boring-top-10-ways-to-moderate-a-panel-discussion) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CEO%20of%20your%20health.jpg?width=2614&height=1805&name=CEO%20of%20your%20health.jpg) ### Fit for Business: Make Yourself the CEO of Your Own Health February 16th, 2022|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/fit-for-business-make-yourself-the-ceo-of-your-own-health) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/WEB_20200123_MILLA%20KUHTO_4875%20copy.jpg) ### Professional Speakers vs Corporate Speakers: Which Is Right For Your Event? September 28th, 2021|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/professional-speakers-vs-corporate-speakers-which-is-right-for-your-event) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS%20new%20home%20studio.jpg) ### Home Video Studio Setup: Recommendations from a Professional Virtual Speaker July 27th, 2021|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/home-video-studio-setup) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/COVID%20shutterstock_1643947495.jpg) ### COVID “Immunity Bubble” for Small In-Person Event Goes Wrong February 16th, 2021|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/covid-immunity-bubble) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/virtual%20reality.jpg) ### The Future of Virtual and In-Person Events in 2021? 6 Key Predictions. January 19th, 2021|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-future-of-virtual-and-in-person-events-in-2021) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/social%20engagement%20shutterstock_1751653490.jpg) ### How To Drive Social Interaction At Your Virtual Event December 16th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-to-drive-social-interaction-at-your-virtual-event) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Inbound%202020%20hashtag.png) ### Building Audience Interaction at Virtual Events November 11th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/building-audience-interaction-at-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Microsoft%20events.jpg) ### Swimming into the Torpedo: How Microsoft Transitioned to Virtual Events October 28th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/how-microsoft-transitioned-to-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Business%20Mastery%20virtual%202.jpg) ### The High Energy Yet Intimate Experience of Tony Robbins Virtual Business Mastery October 13th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/tony-robbins-virtual-business-mastery) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Standout%20Virtual%20Events.jpg) ### Announcing My New Book Available Now: Standout Virtual Events September 28th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/standout-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Virtual%20Events%20and%20Customer%20Relationships.jpg) ### Virtual Events and Customer Relationships September 2nd, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/virtual-events-and-customer-relationships) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Cramer%20episode%201%20thumbnail.jpg) ### Raising the Bar on Virtual Events August 5th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/raising-the-bar-on-virtual-events) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/LM%20Simulator%20cue%20cards.jpg) ### Cue Cards in 2020: A Powerful Analog Presentation Tool Adapted from the Apollo Lunar Program July 29th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/virtual-speaking-tool-apollo-cue-card) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/David%20Meerman%20Scott%20virtual%20speaking%20multi%20camera.jpg) ### Top 5 Problems with Hiring a Great Virtual Event Speaker July 20th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/top-5-problems-hiring-virtual-event-speaker) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/virtual%20control%20room.jpg) ### 5 Key Benefits to Hosting Virtual Events July 8th, 2020|4 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/5-key-benefits-to-hosting-virtual-events) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-13T19:52:09.301Z", "datePublished" : "2016-10-17T14:43:08.000Z", "headline" : "Donald Trump Says the Media Is Corrupt and Has Rigged the Election", "image" : [ "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Trump_on_stage.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/donald-trump-says-the-media-is-currupt-and-has-rigged-the-election", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person", "@type" : "Person", "description" : "Marketing and sales visionary, international bestselling author of 12 books, keynote speaker in 47 countries, and advisor to emerging companies.", "email" : "mailto:David@DavidMeermanScott.com", "image" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS-Homepage-Featured.jpg", "jobTitle" : [ "Keynote Speaker", "Author", "Business Growth Strategist", "Marketing Advisor" ], "knowsAbout" : [ "Content Marketing", "Fandom Marketing", "Newsjacking", "Real-Time Marketing", "Public Relations", "Sales Strategy", "Business Growth" ], "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "sameAs" : [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meerman_Scott", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott", "https://x.com/dmscott", "https://www.instagram.com/dmscott/" ], "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/search?q={search_term_string}" } }, "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "dateCreated" : "2016-10-17T14:18:56", "datePublished" : "2016-10-17T10:43:08-0400", "description" : "Yes, the media can help your business. But reporters can also dig for information that’s bad for your reputation.", "headline" : "Donald Trump Says the Media Is Corrupt and Has Rigged the Election", "image" : [ "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/413105/Trump_on_stage.jpg" ], "inLanguage" : "en-us", "keywords" : [ "Public Speaking", "Public Relations", "Case Studies", "Real-Time Marketing & PR", "Marketing", "US Presidential Campaign Marketing & PR", "Research and Analysis", "Newsjacking" ], "learningResourceType" : "article", "name" : "Donald Trump Says the Media Is Corrupt and Has Rigged the Election", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://413105.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/413105/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "Freshspot Marketing LLC" }, "timeRequired" : "4 minutes", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/donald-trump-says-the-media-is-currupt-and-has-rigged-the-election" } ```