Trump slams CNN yet highlights network praise on falling mortgage rates

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump criticized CNN in a series of late-night social media posts on Friday, January 16, while simultaneously sharing a network segment that credited his administration with lower mortgage interest rates.

The president posted the clip on Truth Social, highlighting comments from CNN journalists discussing the impact of a Trump-directed policy.

The post came as new mortgage data showed rates falling to their lowest level in more than three years. 

Trump shares CNN clip while criticizing network

Trump posted multiple messages on Truth Social, including one in which he criticized CNN while sharing a clip from CNN's 'News Central' that discussed recent mortgage rate data.

“Even Fake News CNN is praising the DROP in Mortgage Interest Rates!” Trump wrote, attaching the segment from Thursday’s broadcast.

In the clip, anchor Brianna Keilar introduced a report on mortgage rates, noting that borrowing costs had declined to levels not seen in more than three years.

CNN correspondent Vanessa Yurkevich reported that the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage stood at 6.06%, according to Freddie Mac, down from more than 7% a year earlier.

Yurkevich said that the decline could be linked to a policy decision by the Trump administration.

“Why this is happening? Well, it could be pointing to the fact that President Trump did direct the purchase of $200 billion of mortgage, mortgage bonds, and that was designed to lower rates,” she said.

The report outlined potential cost differences for buyers, estimating that monthly payments on a $450,000 home could be roughly $230 lower compared with a year earlier, depending on loan terms.

The segment also noted that existing home sales rose by 5.1% in December compared with November.

At the same time, the report said home prices continued to increase, with the median existing home price reaching $405,400, marking 30 consecutive months of year-over-year increases.

Trump's promise to slash mortgage rates and revive the 'American Dream'

Trump expanded on his housing agenda in a separate Truth Social post earlier in the month, where he criticized the Biden-era economy while outlining steps he said were intended to lower mortgage rates and expand homeownership.

“Biden ignored the Housing Market, and instead was immersed with High Crime, Open Borders, runaway INFLATION, the Afghanistan Disaster, and a Military that he left in Chaos and Confusion,” Trump wrote.

“Everything was broken, but I, as president of the United States, have already fixed it!” Trump concluded.

He added that he had directed his representatives to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds.

“This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable,” Trump said.

The president described the policy as part of a broader effort to restore affordability and homeownership.

“It is one of my many steps in restoring Affordability, something that the Biden Administration absolutely destroyed,” he wrote. “We are bringing back the AMERICAN DREAM that was destroyed by the last Administration.”

The announcement followed Trump’s proposal to restrict large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes, a move he framed as part of a wider housing agenda.

Trump said high inflation had pushed homeownership out of reach for many Americans, particularly younger buyers. “People live in homes, not corporations,” he said.