• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

Donald Trump Blasts the New York Times For its ‘Hit Piece’

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 16, 2016, 8:14 AM ET
CHARLESTON, WV - MAY 5: Republican presidential candidate Donal
The Washington Post/Getty Images

Donald Trump made it very clear this weekend that he is not a fan of the New York Times.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee took to Twitter to blast a recent Times story that focused on the billionaire businessman’s private relationships with women. The piece, written by Michael Barbaro and Megan Twohey, took into account more than 50 interviews that were conducted over a six-week period with women who dated Trump and worked for and with Trump, as well as men and women who knew him over the years.

Notably, the Times (NYT) piece said that Trump elevated women to high-ranking positions within his company—but also that he made crude comments about their appearance over the years.

 

Trump wasn’t happy with those characterizations. Here are some of the tweets he fired off in response:

The failing @nytimes wrote yet another hit piece on me. All are impressed with how nicely I have treated women, they found nothing. A joke!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2016

Everyone is laughing at the @nytimes for the lame hit piece they did on me and women.I gave them many names of women I helped-refused to use

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2016

Why doesn't the failing @nytimes write the real story on the Clintons and women? The media is TOTALLY dishonest!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2016

Barbaro, a co-author of the story, disputed the claim that the Times didn’t speak to women that Trump proposed talking to for the story—saying they did interview and quote women that Trump’s office suggested. Fortune has reached out to the Times for comment about Trump’s complaints and will update this story if it issues a response.

A woman that was mentioned prominently in the story, Rowanne Brewer Lane, also complained about the coverage. The former model said that the reporters “put a negative connotation” on what she said. Trump incorrectly spelled her first name it two separate tweets—calling her “Rosanne” and “Roseanne.”

 

The narrative around Trump’s relationship with women is important to the candidate, especially considering his poor favorability with female voters. A CNN/ORC poll in March found that 73% of women who’d registered to vote viewed Trump unfavorably. Women have exceeded male voters in every presidential election since 1964, so they are an important group to sway come November.

The Times wasn’t the only major publication to land in Trump’s crosshairs over the weekend. He also complained about a recent Washington Post story that reported on potential vice presidential candidates who were being considered by his team. Trump said that Marco Rubio and “most others mentioned are NOT under consideration.”

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Defense executives worry Trump’s proposed military splurge could backfire
NewslettersCEO Daily
Defense executives worry Trump’s proposed military splurge could backfire
By Diane BradyApril 10, 2026
3 hours ago
stressed worker
EconomyJobs
The job market is so bad, workers now think they have worse odds of finding a role than during the pandemic
By Jake AngeloApril 10, 2026
4 hours ago
Eva Longoria says she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’—so she worked part time as a headhunter, closing deals from her soap opera dressing room
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Eva Longoria says she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’—so she worked part time as a headhunter, closing deals from her soap opera dressing room
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 10, 2026
5 hours ago
erewhon
EconomyFood and drink
Americans hate the economy so much, they’re buying $22 smoothies
By Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui, Patrick Van Esch and The ConversationApril 9, 2026
20 hours ago
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: ‘I don’t regret selling. I regret who I sold to’
InvestingMark Cuban
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: ‘I don’t regret selling. I regret who I sold to’
By Sydney LakeApril 9, 2026
20 hours ago
You’re looking at the AI revolution all wrong, top economist says: 40% unemployment and a 3-day work week are the same thing
AIdisruption
You’re looking at the AI revolution all wrong, top economist says: 40% unemployment and a 3-day work week are the same thing
By Nick LichtenbergApril 9, 2026
20 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
Success
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
White-collar workers are quietly rebelling against AI as 80% outright refuse adoption mandates
AI
White-collar workers are quietly rebelling against AI as 80% outright refuse adoption mandates
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
Success
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
22 hours ago
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.