After much of the nation spent the day reeling from President Trump’s very personal, vindictive early morning Twitter attacks on Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski — particularly Brzezinski, whom he accused of “bleeding badly from a face-lift” — Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders proceeded with her daily press briefing like a woman who was being sent to the gallows.
Prior to the briefing, Sanders spoke to Fox News, defending the president’s actions. “I don’t think that the president’s ever been someone who gets attacked and doesn’t push back,” she claimed. “This is a president who fights fire with fire and certainly will not be allowed to be bullied by liberal media or liberal elites in Hollywood or anywhere else.” Not surprisingly, those words came back to haunt Sanders as John Roberts from Fox News called her on them to kick off the briefing, asking whether or not Trump had gone too far with the “deeply personal” nature of his tweet.
“Ah, I don’t think so,” Sanders started off. “I mean the president has been attacked mercilessly on personal accounts by members on that program, and I think he’s been very clear that when he gets attacked, he’s gonna hit back. I think the American people elected someone who’s tough, who’s smart, and who’s a fighter. And that’s Donald Trump.”
She then went on to claim that Scarborough and Brzezinski had inflicted their own “personal” attacks against Trump, herself, and other members of his staff on Morning Joe. “I guess it’s like living in the Twilight Zone,” she continued. “They do this day after day after day and then the president responds and defends himself and everybody is appalled,” she said, even having the nerve to insinuate that the previous administration hadn’t dealt with these type of personal attacks when we know that A) it did and B) most of them were literally perpetuated by her boss himself.
When pressed further by Kristen Welker of NBC News on whether the president should be able to hold up to a higher standard than cable news anchors, Sanders responded, “The people of America elected a fighter, they didn’t elect someone to sit back and do nothing.” In reality, the country elected a leader — and leaders should be able to stand up to a higher standard, which includes the ability to accept and tolerate criticism.
When Sanders finally abruptly ended the briefing, one member of the press could hilariously be heard asking “No apology?” from the corral.
Naturally, people were not buying it, if the response on Twitter was any indication.
https://twitter.com/morninggloria/status/880497126085734400
https://twitter.com/morninggloria/status/880500061435826179
Sarah Huckabee Sanders putting on a clinic on how to be shameless, in defense of Trump's Twitter attack on Mika Brzezinksi.
— Mkay (@JoyAnnReid) June 29, 2017
Sarah Huckabee Sanders putting on a clinic on how to be shameless, in defense of Trump's Twitter attack on Mika Brzezinksi.
— Mkay (@JoyAnnReid) June 29, 2017
Sarah Huckabee Sanders has 100% said, "I pay your salary" to a cop while getting a traffic ticket, but supports them when someone gets shot.
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) June 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/rmayemsinger/status/880511726172622848
https://twitter.com/briangaar/status/880502318810013696
Let it be known that Sarah Huckabee Sanders refuses to answer if trump should be held to a higher standard than a cable news host. Gosh.
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) June 29, 2017
Sarah Huckabee Sanders: "The president in no way, form, or fashion has ever encouraged any form of violence."
Fact check: pic.twitter.com/WN2kqY0u2L
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 29, 2017
Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a sell out. As a woman, she's defending Trump, who condones sexism, hate & bullying. She's a disgrace.
— PlumGirl (@PlumGirl11) June 29, 2017
Sarah Huckabee Sanders' primary role in the White House Press Operation is to make Sean Spicer look slightly less ridiculous
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 29, 2017
Sarah Huckabee Sanders is an embarrassment to women.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) June 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/american_putz/status/880509751544733696
https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/880496695792066560