President Donald Trump and his coronavirus task force have been holding daily briefings in the press room over the week and sometimes, it has gotten confrontational as journalists ask Trump what his administration is doing to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
On Friday, the president attacked NBC White House correspondent Peter Alexander after he asked what the president wants to say to frightened Americans.
Alexander asked, “What do you say to Americans who are scared, though? I guess, nearly 200 dead, 14,000 who are sick, millions — as you witnessed — who are scared right now. What do you say to Americans who are watching right now who are scared?”
Rather than respond, Trump shot back, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter, that’s what I say.”
Moments later, the president added, “I think it’s a very nasty question, and I think it’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people. The American people are looking for answers and they’re looking for hope and you’re doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and ‘con-cast’, I don’t call it ‘Comcast’, I call it ‘con-cast’.”
He continued, “Let me just tell you something, that’s really bad reporting. And you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism. Let’s see if it works, it might and it might not, I happen to feel good about it, but who knows, I’ve been right a lot.”
As another reporter began to ask a question, Trump pointed at Alexander and said, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
See the video below:
Q: What do you say to Americans who are scared
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) March 20, 2020
TRUMP: "I say that you're a terrible reporter, that's what I say."
Unreal. pic.twitter.com/RJ1aJXJUUh
Trump’s interaction with Alexander comes only a day after he praised One America News (OAN), saying at a press conference, “OAN — very good … they treat me very nicely.” The reporter from OAN then asked Trump during the briefing if he thinks the term “Chinese food” is racist and accused other journalists of “team[ing] up with Chinese communist party narratives.”