Like so many Americans, President Donald Trump appears to have grown weary of a frequently hostile media constantly jousting with him, playing a game of “gotcha” in the face of an unprecedented national emergency.
The Chinese virus COVID-19 has now been fully weaponized by the same cabal that tried to use the Ukraine controversy and the Russian collusion hoax to destroy Trump, as the narrative has shifted away from a lack of tests and is now focused on an alleged shortage of medical equipment to treat those infected with coronavirus.
At Sunday’s News briefing, PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor asked the president about a comment he made last week on Fox News’ “Hannity” about the request for equipment.
Trump quickly shut Alcindor down, holding the reporter up as an example of why so many people distrust the media.
“Why don’t you act in a little more positive — it’s always get ya, get ya, get ya,” Trump told the reporter. “You know what? That’s why nobody trusts the media anymore.”
“That’s why you used to work for the [New York] Times and now you work for somebody else,” he continued. “Look, let me tell you something. Be nice. Don’t be threatening.”
Trump would go on to remind Alcindor that she is “a journalist” and that in the fight against the coronavirus, they are all on the same team, before a White House staffer would take the microphone and move on to another reporter.
The media shtick is old at this stage of the game — cherry-pick the president’s words, present them in the worst possible light, often without any context, to make him look bad. The goal here being to expose Trump for allegedly penalizing states led by those critical of him — see Democrats — when it comes to the distribution of equipment.
Understanding that the exchange between the president and Alcindor was going to dominate the headlines, CNN’s Jeremy Diamond handed the microphone back to the PBS reporter when he got his turn to ask a question.
Diamond’s antic was roundly applauded by the Trump-hating left. He is seen below in furtherance of the aforementioned goal of exposing Trump for favoring those who like him.
WATCH @realDonaldTrump debunk the media smear campaign about his statement "I want them [governors] to be appreciative. We've done a great job. And I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about Mike Pence, the task force, I'm talking about FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers.”
EPIC. pic.twitter.com/nalgO7QhJ0
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 29, 2020
On Friday, the president spoke with Fox News host Sean Hannity about the growing request for ventilators — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has requested 30,000 alone, basing this inflated number of predicted outcomes.
“I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be,” President Trump explained. “I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they’ll have two ventilators. And now, all of a sudden, they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”
Bringing race into the equation, Alcindor responded on Twitter to her clash with the president.
She tweeted: “President Trump today at the White House said to me: ‘Be nice. Don’t be threatening.’ I’m not the first human being, woman, black person or journalist to be told that while doing a job. My take: Be steady. Stay focused. Remember your purpose. And, always press forward.”
President Trump today at the White House said to me: “Be nice. Don’t be threatening.”
I’m not the first human being, woman, black person or journalist to be told that while doing a job.
My take: Be steady. Stay focused. Remember your purpose. And, always press forward.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 29, 2020
In the eyes of millions of Americans, that “purpose” being to destroy Trump at all costs.
Naturally, the left-wing media cabal rallied around their colleague, as seen here:
Totally legitimate question from @Yamiche about what Trump said to Hannity about ventilators. Fair game.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 29, 2020
Who just gave Yamiche back the mic ?? THANK YOU!!!!!
— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) March 29, 2020
If you want to see the combination of the courage and struggle of being a journalist who covers this White House, watch @Yamiche. She just.never.stops speaking truth to power
— Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) March 29, 2020
bravo to my @cnn colleague @JDiamond1 for, once called on, handing microphone to @yamiche so she could resume the questioning that Trump earlier cut off with his false and inappropriate tirade
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) March 29, 2020
Cheering for my friend @JDiamond1 who handed the microphone to @Yamiche !! This is how it’s done people. Proud to know them both 🙌🏾🙌🏾
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) March 29, 2020
Couldn’t be prouder of @Yamiche for refusing to be intimidated. This is real journalism. What’s sad is that she has to take this on a regular basis from this condescending asshole. https://t.co/l4jJtjnV8Z
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) March 29, 2020
Thank you @Yamiche for doing your job as a journalist by holding Donald Trump accountable and asking him questions that many Americans want answers to — helping to cut through the lies during this #coronavirus crisis. #WeLoveYamiche
pic.twitter.com/ZHY3sOFM1U— Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre) March 30, 2020
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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