Trump accused of racism after exchange with black reporter at latest press conference
President Trump has been accused of making a racist comment at his latest press conference, after comments he made to a black journalist.
During the conference, during which Trump attacked the media and lied about how many electoral college votes he got, the President also took a question from journalist April Ryan.
Ryan asked whether Trump would share his urban planning policies with the Congressional Black Caugust (CBC), a group of black members of congress.
But as Ryan used the acronym CBC, Trump first asked what Ryan meant, appearing confused at what the CBC is.
However once Ryan explained what she meant, things took a turn for the (even) worse.
Trump then proceeded to say he “would” meet with the CBC, but asked Ryan: “I tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting?”
“Do you want to set up the meeting?” he asked.
But, continuing to interrupt Ryan as she said “I’m just a reporter”, Trump added: “Are they friends of yours? Set up the meeting.”
Many took to social media to call out Trump on the way he handled the situation.
Some questioned whether he was being misogynistic by asking Ryan to set up the meeting, which clearly is not her job.
Others asked whether he was asking if she was “friends” with the CBC because she is black herself.
Occupy Democrats published a report calling Trump racist for the “quip”, and many took to social media to call him out on the exchange.
The President, in line with comments he made about some news organisations, said she was “very professional and very good” ahead of Ryan asking her question.
Others questioned why he used an apparently condescending tone to refer to a professional just doing her job as she has done for more than two decades.
“I am a journalist, not a convener!” Ryan wrote on Twitter after the encounter, and the CBC also tweeted that it had attempted to contact Trump since he took office, but that it hadn’t heard a response from a letter.
“We’re the CBC. We sent you a letter on January 19, but you never wrote us back. Sad!” the CBC wrote.
Check out the cringeworthy exchange below:
Reporter: Will you meet with the Congressional Black Caucus?
Trump: “I would. You want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours?” pic.twitter.com/8Pp18KBUJd— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) February 16, 2017
