"... were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." -- Thomas Jefferson (1787)

Our accidental President hates "mainstream" media.

Although he readily admits he doesn't read much, he professes to be a great fan of the likes of Fox News, RedState, Breitbart, and other "news sources" he can watch, listen to, or read on his phone.

He's apparently not keen on media with ethics, professional editors, and investigative reporters; or papers like the New York Times, the Washington Post, or the Wall Street Journal; or networks like CBS, NBC, or ABC.

He likes media that don't win Pulitzer Prizes.

He doesn't think it proper for journalists to ask embarrassing questions, expose misstatements and blatant lies, uncover embarrassing truths and brand blatant self-serving propaganda for what it is.

Indeed, he has pronounced ethical journalism as an "enemy of the state."

Why?

Trump believes "the press" is "making up" all the stories they print about his petulance, ethical failings, missteps, misstatements, carping, complaining, random Tweeting, vulnerabilities and lies and those of his staff-family, professional associates, appointees, and assorted supporters, sycophants, and pen-for-hire hangers-on.

Furious at the inability of his Press Secretary, Sean (Trump's crowds were larger) Spicer, to handle the PR disasters the President himself engenders and feeds, Trump hires an old buddy, a slick sycophant with little else to recommend him to serve as Spicer's boss. That was more than even Spicer could stand, and he resigned.

Stories about Trump and birtherism? Not Trump's fault.

Stories about fake universities and lawsuits? Old news if not fake news.

Stories contradicting blatant misstatements of fact (think crowd size; Obama's birth; 3 million illegal voters). Not Trump's fault.

Stories about money linked to Russia, Russian oligarchs, and personal and corporate friends of Putin, flowing to Trump's family and friends and appointees? All fake, and in any case not Trump's fault.

Reporting of Russian efforts to influence our elections? The press is clearly out to get Trump.

Stories about climate change? The press is out to make Trump and his appointees look stupid.

Coverage of the President's mad tweetstorms? Carping insistence on consistency, or spelling, or telling the truth.

Stories about obsessive demands for personal "loyalty." Petty fear-mongering.

Indeed, from Trump's perspective, none of his problems are of his own making. The "press" is at fault for investigating and reporting on them.

The current Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia has labeled Trump a "narcissistic maniac."

Trump's fear of the press and what appears to be his visceral hatred of anyone or anything not willing to sing his praises is indeed, arguably, symptomatic of "malignant narcissism."

More distressing is what appears to be his complete lack awareness of the purpose and meaning of the First Amendment... coupled with a similar lack of awareness of his sworn duty to protect and defend it.

Mr. Jefferson weeps.