The so-called blue wave may not have swept across the country as Democrats would have hoped, most notably with much-championed candidates Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams losing in their respective states. Dems did, however, manage to turn the House of Representatives blue, and as such the GOP no longer now has control of all three branches of government. It’s a small, but crucial step forward, and if anyone is wondering how President Donald Trump is taking the news … Well, let’s just say, not great!
In what may be the most bizarre moment of his presidency (which is really saying something), Trump unleashed hellfire on reporters from CNN and NBC in a post-election White House press conference on Wednesday. First shutting down CNN’s Jim Acosta over questions about the migrant caravan and Russian investigation, Trump had an aide literally wrestle the mic out of his hand while he went on to admonish him.
“You should let me run the country, you run CNN, and if you did it well your ratings would be much better,” noted the former reality TV star. “I’ll tell you, CNN should be ashamed of themselves having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person, you shouldn’t be working for CNN.”
Trump continued to be combative when Peter Alexander from NBC News got his turn at the mic next, and defended Acosta as a diligent reporter. “Well I’m not a big fan of yours either, to be honest,” the president shot back, while continuing to spar with Acosta, who reminded Trump that less than two weeks ago one of his supporters was arrested over pipe bombs sent to his network, among other targets.
"That is such a racist question" pic.twitter.com/uPexOKd4nE
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 7, 2018
A short time later, Trump attacked PBS NewsHour correspondent Yamiche Alcindor for asking a legitimate question about whether or he was emboldening white supremacists by referring to himself as a “nationalist” on the campaign trail. “I don’t know why you’d say that, that’s such a racist question,” Trump told Alcindor, who happens to be African-American.
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
It’s certainly not a shining moment in the U.S. presidency, for sure.
Update: CNN has issued an official statement over the president’s remarks:
CNN’s response to @realDonaldTrump’s press conference today: pic.twitter.com/tJ3nZDnYwO
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 7, 2018