The Conversation (0)
News
x
Greg Evans
May 12, 2020
During Monday's coronavirus task force press briefing, Donald Trump abruptly walked out on reporters at the White House after getting into a confrontation with several journalists.
The altercation initially started with Trump fielded a question from Jiang about the president's claim that the US was doing better than any other nation with coronavirus, despite having the highest death toll and infection rate in the world. Indeed, the White House unveiled a new and dubious slogan at the briefing claiming that "America leads the world in testing."
Jiang said to the president:
Why is this a global competition when, every day, Americans are still losing their lives?
Trump attempted to swat the question away but his answer has been read by some as racist as Jiang describes herself as a Chinese born West Virginian.
He said:
They're losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that's a question you should ask China. Don't ask me, ask China that question, OK?
Jiang retaliated asking the POTUS why he was saying that to her specifically, to which he replied:
I'm saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that.
Trump then tried to hastily move the session on and pointed towards CNN's Collins who said that she wanted to allow Jiang to finish her question, only for Trump to wave off Collins.
Al Jazeera reports that Trump then pointed to a third reporter, this time from PBS who said that she wanted Collins to ask her question. At this point, Trump had seen enough and stormed off the stage.
Many have already blasted Trump for his behaviour at this moment with some branding it racist, misogynist and petty.
Millions of women watch this and think, “I divorced that.” https://t.co/8OFdAL5w3m— Connie Schultz (@Connie Schultz) 1589235998
BREAKING: Trump was confronted by a reporter about a racist comment he made during his propaganda press conference,… https://t.co/l0r0nlj9a4— Scott Dworkin (@Scott Dworkin) 1589231923
Trump proves he is both a racist & a misogynist dick in less than 60 Seconds. Let the @MikeBloomberg Ads begin. https://t.co/658Y1dqWJF— Malcolm Nance (@Malcolm Nance) 1589241715
The President of the United States is not only a malignant fool and a vindictive, self-absorbed swine. He is also,… https://t.co/E97uwfCWV8— David Simon (@David Simon) 1589238441
Trump's open, naked bigotry made his constant lying seem almost quaint - telling an Asian journalist to go take her… https://t.co/nDOKI9rnXi— Mike Larsen (@Mike Larsen) 1589232038
Trump throws childish tantrum, makes racist remark, gets chokeslammed by simple questions, crawls away in tears… https://t.co/0k0btDxRfU— Victor Berger IV (@Victor Berger IV) 1589236240
Trump was a complete animal to a young American girl. A US citizen from Asian heritage.There is no other way to d… https://t.co/DzmRyw71WZ— Lord Sugar (@Lord Sugar) 1589254264
The people you swore an oath to protect and defend are dying Donald Trump. And instead of responding with compassi… https://t.co/05SdahhYcq— Ayanna Pressley (@Ayanna Pressley) 1589237973
President Trump, asked about the more than 80,000 Americans who've died of coronavirus: "Dont ask me, ask China"— Todd Zwillich (@Todd Zwillich) 1589231839
Trump's actions soon saw #Trumpmeltdown trending on Twitter, with the words "snowflake","sulk" and "big baby" also being used to describe what happened.
Abhorrent snowflake. https://t.co/BDolagH8X8— Gary Lineker 💙 (@Gary Lineker 💙) 1589234069
The #TrumpMeltdown about #ObamGate maybe is trying to distract us from the fact that his incompetence is literally… https://t.co/1q8dkG2vJ6— Derek End the Filibuster Cressman (@Derek End the Filibuster Cressman) 1589249968
After today’s press conference meltdown fiasco, yes, we are laughing at Trump. What a fucking snowflake.— Young Daddy (@Young Daddy) 1589246455
Trump being his usual racist self. Vile. But both these women stood up to him and he ran away, like the big man bab… https://t.co/QIKwZ1hBlf— 🏴💙Craig Beaton 🇵🇸 (@🏴💙Craig Beaton 🇵🇸) 1589238535
This came just a day after Trump tweeted more than 100 times in a single day and developed a new obsession with Barack Obama and the Russian probe.
All this in the middle of a pandemic, which has claimed more than 81,000 lives in the US and infected more than one million people.