This week, President Trump reserved vitriol-filled comments for Black journalists Abby Phillip and April Ryan from CNN, and Yamiche Alcindor from PBS Newshour, who were just trying to do their jobs. Trump was slammed on Twitter for his overt appeal to racists by disrespecting the women.
Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas tweeted:
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@AprilDRyan & @abbydphillip & @Yamiche are 3 of the finest reporters in the @whca and custodians of the #FirstAmendment – dismissing them or their questions as dumb, racist or stupid says more about @realDonaldTrump and his #dogwhistle racism than it does about these fine women.
Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18)
November 9, 2018
At Friday’s press briefing, Trump called veteran White House correspondent Ryan a “loser” who “doesn’t know what the hell she is doing.”
Alcindor
asked Trump at Wednesday’s press conference about the consequences of calling himself a “nationalist,” as it seems to embolden white nationalists. He called her question “racist.” And at the same press conference, he told Ryan to sit down as she attempted to ask a question. “I didn’t call on you,” he said.
Related Story: Trump Tells Black Reporter Her Question on White Nationalism is ‘Racist’
After Trump disrespected Ryan again on Friday, Alcindor came to her defense on Twitter:
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@AprilDRyan has been covering the White House for several presidents honorably. She’s not a loser. In fact, she’s been winning in her personal and professional lives for a while. She’s a journalist, a mom to great girls, an author of books and a truth teller. We press on.
Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche)
November 9, 2018
And, in another vile attack on Black women journalists, on Friday, when Phillip attempted to ask Trump about special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, he said she was asking a “stupid question,” before claiming Phillip always asks “stupid questions.”
A video clip of the exchange has gone viral with more than 2 million views:
And Trump today attacked another black reporter, Abby Phillip: What a stupid question that is,” he says to her.
pic.twitter.com/tqcw3NgFtt
Keith Boykin (@keithboykin)
November 9, 2018
“I asked him, ‘Do you want him to rein in Mueller’ he called it a stupid question,” Phillip said, recalling Trump’s outburst. “It’s the most important question here because there are a lot of really clear questions about whether Matt Whitaker ought to be doing that given what he said publicly in the past about Mueller.”
Additional supporters of the journalists took to Twitter to call out Trump on his actions.
Soledad O’Brien, CEO of StarfishMedia and host of “Matter of Fact,” tweeted:
The President attacking black women again.
Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) November 9, 2018
President of the National Association of Black Journalists, Sarah Glover, demanded professionalism from Trump:
.@AprilDRyan, @abbydphillip, @Yamiche – among finest reporters covering the White House, plus April on the beat for decades. @realDonaldTrump‘s vitriol lodged against them, @Acosta, @PeterAlexander is unacceptable.
Mr. President, professionalism please. Abby is brilliant btw. pic.twitter.com/t3qJ8TxZxX
Sarah Glover (@sarah4nabj) November 9, 2018
