QPRESS
CNN’s John King called President Trump’s admonishment of NBC News reporter Peter Alexander at Friday’s White House coronavirus taskforce briefing “bullshit.” Alexander asked the president what he would say to Americans “watching you right now who are scared.”
King said the Trump trademark behavior was “reprehensible,” especially since it was a legitimate question with “no shade” attached to it.
“This is a Trump trademark,” King said to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. “It was striking that this came, this, forgive me, bullshit attack on fake news came just moments after the Secretary of State said the American people needed to be careful about where they get their information, and go to sources they can trust.”
“That was a 100% legitimate question with no hype, no shade, no bias, he just wanted to attack,” King said.
JOHN KING: Peter Alexander said talk to the people out there who are at home who are frightened. Give them some advice. Instead of offering that advice, that comfort, the president did this:
PETER ALEXANDER, NBC NEWS: What do you say to the Americans were 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 you right now who are scared?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I say that you’re a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. Go ahead.
ALEXANDER: Mr. President–
TRUMP: — I think that’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 Comcast. I don’t call it Comcast. I call it Concast. Let me just–just–for whom you work. 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. Let’s see what happens. John.
KING: I sat in that room for just shy of 10 years. It was a perfectly valid question. What the president did to Peter Alexander is reprehensible. The American people are looking for answers. They do want hope. They do want support, Mr. President. That was a very fair question. Our Kaitlan Collins is in the briefing room. She was there for this contentious briefing.
Kaitlin, this is a Trump trademark, this is a Trump trademark. It was striking that this came, this, forgive me, bullshit attack on fake news came just moments after the Secretary of State said the American people needed to be careful about where they get their information, and go to sources they can trust.
I get there at times disagreements, there are times contention between politicians and reporters. That was a 100% legitimate question with no hype, no shade, no bias, he just wanted to attack.