President Donald Trump tries to bully another reporter, but this time he got more than he bargained for when she wouldn’t back down and pressed him despite his angry tantrum.
A furious Trump sparred with ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers when she pushed him on why he’s suing the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion during an exchange in the Oval Office on Friday, Jan. 30.
Travers spoke over other reporters to try to get her question answered by the President.
“Why are you suing the IRS,” she asked.
Trump appearing taken aback fell back on his usual playbook of trying to intimidate journalists.
“Who are you with?” he demanded.
“I’m with ABC News,” Travers responded.
Trump hurled the first insult he could think of, before launching into the same old accusations he’s used for a decade.
“You’re a loud person. Very loud. Let somebody else have a chance,” he chastised.
But Travers pushed back.
“Can you answer the question, why are you suing the IRS?”
That’s when anybody could have guessed what was coming next.
“ABC, fake. ABC, fake news. Go ahead,” he said to another reporter as Travers continued pushing.
“I didn’t call on you,” an irate Trump spit at her. “Go ahead, go ahead,” he said to another reporter before whining, “ABC, by the way, is truly one of the worst.”
Social media spiraled into a frenzy responding to Trump’s rude behavior and calling him out on the carpet.
“A simple question is met with insults and dismissal. Politics aside, it’s hard to see how anyone applauds a grown man acting like a child instead of answering,” X user Investseekers pointed out.
Another poster thinks politicians need to address questions they may not like for the sake of a healthy democracy.
“Journalists should ask tough questions. Leaders should answer them. That balance is what keeps systems honest.”
Trump is well-known for treating reporters badly and calling them names when the mood suits him.
“Trump is such a whiny little baby. He’s a loser who can’t handle it when pressed or criticized. Losers are like that. Full of bluster but then throw tantrums when confronted,” X user Buff Ken Blue observed.
But the Libertarian Party of Louisiana probably said it best: “What a baby.” Another said bluntly, “Eff him!”
In another clip of the moment, viewers called the other journalist to task. An unflinching Travers was seen confroting Trump a mere feet away from the resolute desk. But the behavior of her peers drew outrage.
“Here is a modest proposal for the White House press corps: Stand together. No one should ask another question until the President answers the question that was ignored,” said Phill Williams, a chief investigative reporter.
The president, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and the Trump Organization sued the IRS on Thursday, Jan. 29, over leaked tax returns, according to media outlets.
They plaintiffs are seeking $10 billion in damages after agency contractor Charles Littlejohn gave Trump’s tax returns to journalists, according to The Hill. Littlejohn pleaded guilty to a felony and was sentenced to five years in prison.
