Trump faces backlash for celebrating layoffs at The Atlantic, calling it 'Great News'
by Joseph WulfsohnPresident Trump is facing intense backlash for celebrating the recent layoffs that took place at the liberal magazine The Atlantic.
Last week, The Atlantic became the latest of several news outlets that have cut its staff amid the coronavirus pandemic, detailing in a memo to staff that 68 of their colleagues were let go, resulting in a cut of roughly 17 percent of all of the magazine's employees.
Roughly 40 million Americans have lost their jobs since the beginning of the pandemic. On Tuesday night, Trump touted the layoffs from the magazine whose coverage has been largely critical of the president.
"Great News: The boring but very nasty magazine, The Atlantic, is rapidly failing, going down the tubes, and has just been forced to announce it is laying off at least 20% of its staff in order to limp into the future," Trump tweeted, "This is a tough time to be in the Fake News Business!"
Trump's tweet was slammed by critics, many of whom were journalists.
"The president appears to be cheering additions to the unemployment numbers," Associated Press White House reporter Jonathan Lemire reacted.
"This isn't news, it was announced a week ago, Trump just doesn't read. In any case, @TheAtlantic will easily outlast Trump's presidency," Tablet Magazine senior writer Yair Rosenberg tweeted.
JONATHAN TURLEY CALLS OUT CNN, NBC NEWS FOR DOWNPLAYING, EDITING BIDEN'S 'YOU AIN'T BLACK' REMARKS
"The president is celebrating the loss of American jobs," Vox reporter Aled Ward wrote.
"U.S. President celebrates job destruction," ProPublica journalist Lydia DePillis tweeted.
"President celebrates people being unemployed. Whatta town," New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said.
RICHARD GRENELL ACCUSES POLITICO OF 'FAKE NEWS' OVER REPORT HE'S JOINING TRUMP CAMPAIGN
The Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg fired back, telling the president that the magazine's audience "has never been bigger."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
The Atlantic was one of the first publications to call for President Trump's impeachment during the Russia investigation A recent column declared Trump to be "the most unmanly president" in US history.