Trump's press secretary asked if she had 'the guts' to state which journalists are 'the enemy'

Sarah Sanders won't reveal which journalists US President Donald Trump considers "enemies of the people". Photo / AP

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was repeatedly asked by CNN's Jim Acosta to name which journalists President Donald Trump considers "enemies of the people", but she refused to answer.

During a press briefing on Monday, things got heated between Acosta and Sanders after the journalist demanded she give a list of names and organisations the President considers "Fake News Media".

It follows a tweet he made earlier on Monday which read: "There is great anger in our Country caused in part by inaccurate, and even fraudulent, reporting of the news. The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, must stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news accurately & fairly. That will do much to put out the flame …"

CNN's Jim Acosta asked the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders if she had "the guts" to state which journalists are "the enemy". Photo / AP

According to Raw Story, Acosta pointed out the President's tweet came after CNN was allegedly sent as many as three pipe bombs from a Florida Trump supporter.

"Shouldn't you reserve the term 'enemy' for people who are actually the enemy of the United States rather than journalists?" Acosta asked.

Sanders responded that "the President is not referencing all media".

"He's talking about the growing amount of fake news that exists in the country. The President is calling that out," she added.

Acosta then asked a follow-up question where he read in part Trump's tweet before asking Sanders if CNN was on the White House's list of "enemies".

"Can you state for the record which outlets that you and the President regard as the "Enemy of the People?"

There is great anger in our Country caused in part by inaccurate, and even fraudulent, reporting of the news. The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, must stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news accurately & fairly. That will do much to put out the flame...

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2018

But Sanders refused to be pinned down.

"I'm not going to walk through a list but I think those individuals probably know who they are," she said.

"I don't think it's necessarily specific to a general, broad generalisation of a full outlet at times. I think there's individuals that the President would be referencing."

Following her response, Acosta then called out Sanders and the Trump administration for calling journalists "enemies" in the first place.

Sarah Sanders refused to answer Jim Acosta's question. Photo / AP

"If the President is going to say the 'fake news' media are the enemy of the people and if you're going to stand there and continue to say that there are some journalists, some news outlets in this country that meet that characterisation, shouldn't you have the guts, Sarah, to state which outlets, which journalists are the enemy of the people?"

Sanders was quick to put it back on Acosta.

"I think it's irresponsible of a news organisation like yours to blame responsibility of a pipe bomb that was not sent by the President — not just blame the President, but blame members of his administration for those heinous acts," she said.

"I think that is outrageous, and I think it's irresponsible."

When Acosta tried to respond, Sanders shut him down saying, "Jim, I've given you three questions."