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Trump To Female Reporter: 'What A Stupid Question That Is'

by Valerie Williams
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Image via NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

This is the third time in just two days that Trump has lashed out at a black female reporter

It seems that President Trump isn’t nearly as pleased with the midterm election results as he claims to be — the dude’s temper has flared more than once this week resulting in multiple reporters finding themselves on the receiving end of his toddler tirades. But his vitriol is largely aimed at certain reporters — namely, black women. Today’s victim? CNN White House Correspondent Abby Phillip.

She’s the third black female reporter in just two days to be insulted by the president.

Phillip was doing her job by asking Trump questions (wild, right?) about special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Clearly, this is a sore subject for the president as he immediately lashed out at her.

Phillip asked Trump if he expected newly-appointed acting attorney general Matt Whitaker to be involved in the Mueller probe. Trump replied that that’s up to him. It was her next question that put him over the edge.

“Do you want [Whitaker] to rein in Robert Mueller?” she asked.

“What a stupid question that is,” Trump sneered. “What a stupid question.”

He wasn’t done, though. “But I watch you a lot,” the president continued. “You ask a lot of stupid questions.”

Well, then.

The day after the election, the president leveled plenty of verbal abuse at reporters — both CNN’s Jim Acosta and April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks had interactions with Trump during Wednesday’s post-midterm press conference that made headlines .

The president rudely told Ryan as she tried asking a question, “Sit down. I didn’t call on you.”

And his exchange with Acosta is still under scrutiny as the White House shared what appears to be doctored video of the reporter attempting to keep the microphone as a young female aide tried taking it. As a result, the White House revoked his press pass and put out a statement claiming Acosta was inappropriately rough toward the aide. “We will … never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “This conduct is absolutely unacceptable.”

Today, Trump continued his attacks on both Acosta and Ryan with his anger toward Ryan coming off as far more intense. It couldn’t be more clear that this president is a racist based on the way he treats black reporters — particularly black women reporters.

He called Ryan “a loser” who “doesn’t know what the hell she is doing.” He had some choice words for Acosta too saying, “I don’t think he’s a smart person but he has a loud voice.”

Projecting much, buddy?

Trump repeatedly stated in between insulting reporters that the office of the presidency and the White House both deserve respect, insinuating that reporters asking questions he happens to not like are somehow disrespectful. He then suggested that more journalists could lose their press credentials.

Also happening during Wednesday’s press conference? Trump angrily accusing reporter Yamiche Alcindor of asking “a racist question” when she asked the president to clarify his usage of the term “nationalist” and whether he thought it emboldened white nationalists.

Folks on Twitter were quick to point out that it seems the president has a particular way of speaking to black women.

For her part, Ryan handled the president’s abuse with more respect than most people could muster.

It’s long past time for the entire country to sit up and take notice of the fact that the president’s way of treating people of color is extremely problematic, as summed up by New York Times writer Wajahat Ali.

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