President Donald Trump, 79, is catching heat for yet another cheeky exchange with a female reporter that many say shows his usual behavior hasn’t changed one bit.
The Republican Party leader hosted a special roundtable with the press at the White House on Oct. 23, featuring law enforcement and administration officials.
At one point, Trump took inquiries from reporters shouting questions at him, before making a provocative remark to a female journalist.
“Yes, red hair. Beautiful red hair,” Trump said to a woman representing The Center Square news wire service, who sat directly in front of him.
The correspondent for the right-leaning outlet responded, “Thank you. I’ll tell my hairdresser, she’ll love it.” Trump chuckled before the woman asked about some of his foreign policy decisions.
While the reporter seemed to appreciate Trump’s compliment on the hue of her hair, some people on social media were offended by how she was addressed by the most powerful person in the room.
“If you’re in the room, you’re getting a beauty rating before a microphone. Journalism deserves respect, not a pageant,” one angered X user expressed.
A second critic tweeted, “Trump is creepy with women.” While another individual wondered, “Maximum Trump vomit level…Old man. Yes, ugly grandpa with the disgusting behaviour.”
Another said, “He has always done this to women. Why do you think all of his wives are from the Russian area? Trump has been doing this since he was a teenager.”
The female reporter caught heat, too, when someone posted, “Typical press. She should have told him to f–k off, don’t insult me.”
“Eww, if I was the reporter, I would be throwing up,” a Trump detractor wrote on the app. One jokester quipped, “He’s talking about beautiful hair as if he’s ever had a head of it in his whole life.”
During that same press conference, Trump also had an awkward exchange with a female reporter from France when she wanted to get his thoughts on the Middle East peace efforts.
“Could you say that louder, please?” the MAGA leader asked the French journalist after she questioned him about the Israeli parliament taking steps to annex the West Bank.
The reporter repeated her question. Trump then turned to Attorney General Pam Bondi and said, “Will you answer that, please? Because I cannot understand a word she’s saying.”
Before Bondi could provide a complete answer, Trump jumped back in to add, “Where are you from? You’re from France. Beautiful accent, but we can’t understand what you’re saying.”
The commander in chief eventually downplayed the threat of Israel making the politically fraught move of taking the Palestinian territory.
“Israel’s not gonna do anything with the West Bank, ok? Don’t worry about it. Is that your question? They’re not gonna do anything with the West Bank,” Trump vowed.
This was not the first time Trump leaned on a member of his inner circle for help while publicly meeting with the press in the White House.
In September, first lady Melania Trump, had to step in to assist her husband with a reporter’s question about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Melania, 55, traveled with Trump for his state visit to the United Kingdom in September. The couple met Prince William and Princess Catherine at England’s Windsor Castle.
Upon greeting Catherine at the royal residence, Trump concentrated on her looks by telling the Princess of Wales, “You’re beautiful, so beautiful,” triggering outrage over the comments.
