I will never forget that Peter Alexander, the erstwhile NBC News reporter, gave Donald Trump one of the easiest softball questions of all time during a press conference deep in the White House. It was during the first months of COVID and Alexander asked Trump what he would say to the millions of Americans who were scared. It was tee’d up for Trump to say;
I would tell them that it’s scary stuff. But to remember that the United States is always at its best when challenged. We come together as a people. I know that this building is coming together with doctors and scientists to keep the American people safe. It is normal to be scared, but there is nothing normal about the United States and its ability to fight off anything scary…
That is straight off the top of my head, and I am no president. But apparently, right now, I’m better than one in some ways. Instead of going for the kill and thanking Alexander, Trump did this:
Peter Alexander was trying to get the president of the United States to address the fears Americans have about #coronavirus. His attack on Peter is absolutely shameful and hard to watch — but realize that he attacked Peter so he could avoid answering to you. pic.twitter.com/fJ0PC4Hk9N
— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) March 20, 2020
Yes, the “I’d say you’re a terrible reporter… ” response. One of the White House’s most shameful moments during Trump the OG Admin. So these two have a history.
Today, they went at it again when Alexander asked Trump about the Qatari government and the $400 million gifted 747 – straight to Donald Trump as president. Evidently, this president isn’t that comfortable answering such difficult questions because once again, Trump attacked Alexander very personally, very unprofessionally, and even somewhat inexplicably. Why doesn’t Trump just say something stupid like, “You won’t understand…” and move on? Why say something like this – something so personal?
“What are you talking about? You ought to get out of here. What does this have to do with the Qatari jet? They’re giving the United States Air Force a jet and it’s a great thing. They also gave $5.1 trillion in investment in addition to the jet. It’s NBC trying to get off the subject. You are a terrible reporter. Number one, you don’t have what it takes to be a reporter. You’re not smart enough. You ought to go back to your studio. No more questions from you. Quiet! Quiet! These articles over the last few days — death of people, death, death, horrible death. I don’t know. White South Africans are fleeing because of the violence. These are all farmers being buried — and he asks about a jet? You ought to be ashamed. You are such a bad reporter. This is a group, NBC, that is truly fake news.”
Trump loses it at Peter Alexander: "What are you talking about? You oughta get out of here … you're a terrible reporter. You don't have what it takes to be a reporter. You're not smart enough … Brian Roberts and the people that run that place they ought to be investigated."
Alexander is not a terrible reporter. He was there long before Trump, is still there now on the second go round, and will surely be reporting from the Oval Office long past Trump. If Trump wants to attack Alexander, he best find some new material, something about being a liberal anti-Trumper or irrelevant, something more believable.
This is humiliating stuff. The President of the United States used to be considered “The most powerful man on Earth,” but powerful people rebuff tough questions, they are self-deprecating, they dodge, they weave, they have little for which to apologize. Their presence graces the Oval Office, which then graces their presence – so long as a certain decorum holds. But when it disappears, it all looks so small, so trite, WE look small and trite as a people for electing such a small president – one who has to attack reporters just doing their jobs, sometimes well, sometimes poorly, but just doing their job. They shouldn’t be subject to such abuse.
Add another humiliation to Trump’s long list. At least, this time, Trump wasn’t addressing “The American People… ”
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Such a little, very little man, puffing himself up like a chicken, full of bluster and empty noises.
tricky dick used to say never punch down but trump is such a worthless excuse for a human being that pretty much everyone is above him and he knows this, it tears him up so he lashes out.
This is typical of people with dementia.