Trump Accuses Black Reporter Of Being 'Racist' For Asking About White Nationalism
President Donald Trump held a combative and surreal press conference today after boasting about his "tremendous success" during the midterm elections — the Republicans handily lost the House and at least seven GOP-held governor seats, along with hundreds of state-level legislative offices — and predictably tangled with the press in an effort to continue his war against the media.
This included labeling a well-respected black journalist a racist for asking a question about his rhetoric and self-professed nationalism.
"On the campaign trail, you called yourself a nationalist," PBS NewsHour's Yamiche Alcindor stated. "Some called that as emboldening white nationalists — some say the Republican Party is seen as supporting white nationalists."
As Trump immediately dismissed her question, an undeterred Alcindor pushed back and asked him what he made of the fact that white nationalists were celebrating him describing himself as a nationalist. He responded by citing the laughable Rasmussen poll numbers claiming he has 40 percent approval with African-Americans — reputable and transparent polls have his numbers in single to low double digits — before attacking Alcindor.
"That's such a racist question!" Trump bellowed. "Honestly, I know you have it written down, that's a racist question."
He continued, "You know what the word is. I love our country. I do. You have nationalists. You have globalists. I also love the world and I don't mind helping the world but we have to straighten out our country first. We have a lot of problems excuse me but to say that what you said is so insulting to me. It's a very terrible thing that you said."
This all came during the same press conference in which he repeatedly told foreign reporters that he couldn't understand them because of their accents.
Meanwhile, Alcindor tweeted out her reactions to the president attacking her:
I asked President Trump what he thinks of people seeing his rhetoric as emboldening white nationalists and whether he was concerned that Republicans would be seen as supporting white nationalists.
His response: "That's a racist question."
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) November 7, 2018
I'm simply asking the questions the public wants to know. https://t.co/bZ1cZVBKhd
A note: I followed up the president calling my question "racist" with a policy question about his proposed middle class tax cut because that's what journalists do. We press on. We focus on the privilege of asking questions for a living. We do the work.
Donald TrumpYamiche Alcindor