The UN human rights chief said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's relentless attacks on the media could trigger violence against journalists, suggesting the US leader would be responsible. In a broad condemnation of Trump's conduct in office, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he viewed the US presidency as the driver of "the bus of humanity", accusing Trump of "reckless driving". Zeid, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also blasted Trump's decision to pardon former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt last month for illegally profiling Hispanic immigrants.

On the media, Zeid voiced particular alarm over Trump's verbal assaults on CNN, the New York Times and Washington Post. "To call these news organisations 'fake' does tremendous damage and to refer to individual journalists in this way, I have to ask the question, is this not an incitement for others to attack journalists?.