President Donald Trump continued his feud with the “fake news” media on Wednesday when he went on the attack against individual reporters during a news conference in the wake of the high stakes mid-term elections.
After shouting down CNN’s Jim Acosta and NBC’s Peter Alexander, Trump ordered veteran White House reporter April Ryan to “sit down” as she stood to ask a question about voter suppression. Trump proceeded to scold Ryan for “rudely interrupting” Daily Caller reporter Saagar Enjeti.
“Sit down!,” the president said, cutting Ryan off mid-sentence. “I didn’t call you … I’m not responding to you. I’m speaking to this gentleman. Can you please sit down.”
Interrupting the journalist he just told to “go ahead” with his question, Trump continued: “Very hostile. Such a hostile media. It’s so sad … You asked me — no, you [Ryan] rudely interrupted him. You rudely interrupted him. Go ahead.”
This isn’t the first time Ryan, bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, has squared off with the president and members of his administration. In 2017, the reporter exchanged words with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer when he commanded her to “stop shaking her head.” A month prior, Ryan had a tense exchange with the POTUS during a press conference where he asked her to arrange a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus to address issues affecting the African-American community.
“I am not a facilitator, I’m not a convener, I’m a White House correspondent,” she at the time. “I can say this — many of the CBC members have contacted me since that answer and … they are very eager to meet with this president about the issues.”
Watch more in the clips below.
Trump repeatedly tells April Ryan to "sit down" when she tries to ask him a question pic.twitter.com/6Th5pBxQtU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 7, 2018
