President Donald Trump publicly criticized a female reporter during a press conference about the ongoing war with Iran, calling her 'a fresh person' and saying there have been 'a lot of problems' with her questions.
Key Takeaways
During a press conference about the war with Iran, President Trump criticized female reporter Libbey Dean for interrupting his response. He claimed to receive overwhelmingly negative media coverage and suggested White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt might be responsible. Democrats assailed Trump's address, while Republicans praised it.
NewsNation's Libbey Dean asked if Iran needs to make a deal for U.S. military operations to stop and whether Trump has spoken directly to the country's new leader. When Dean interrupted his response, Trump pushed back against her.
The president said: 'Wait a minute. Do you want me to answer the question? You’re a fresh person. You know? We’ve had a lot of problems with you, haven’t we?'
Trump has frequently targeted journalists during his presidency, often shaming them for asking questions he dislikes. Women reporters have been frequent targets of such criticism.
According to Fox News, Trump also claimed to receive 93% to 97% negative media coverage and suggested White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt might be responsible for the unfavorable coverage. He said, 'Maybe Karoline’s doing a poor job? I don’t know... Should we keep her?' before concluding he would keep her in the position.
During the same press conference, Trump indicated that U.S. military operations against Iran could finish within two to three weeks and that it's possible a deal with Iran could be reached before then.
PBS, citing The Associated Press, reported that Leavitt refused to comment on reports of American-made landmines being used in Iran. When asked about the reports, she said: 'I don't have any comment on that report today.' She also declined to answer when asked whether landmines are being used at all.
Democrats late Wednesday lambasted Trump's Iran war address to the nation for shifting timelines and lacking an end plan. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a 'rambling, disjointed and pathetic presidential war speech,' predicting his offensive against Iran 'will be considered one of the greatest policy blunders in the history of our nation.' Republicans broadly praised Trump's address, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise saying he had laid out an incredibly compelling case for the war.
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