Some things in life are inevitable -- death, taxes, and the animosity between President Donald Trump and media journalists. Unfortunately, there appears to be a masochistic back-and-forth that never ceases, as both parties are frequently positioned to square off during press conferences and briefings. And while Donald Trump has never been shy to put a reporter on blast, yesterday found him opting for a different maneuver altogether. Taking his ball and going home.
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It began when a CBS White House correspondent named Weijia Jiang asked Donald Trump the following question: "You've said many times that the U.S. is doing better than any other country when it comes to testing. Why does that matter? Why is this a global competition to you if every day Americans are still losing their lives and we're still seeing more cases every day?"
Donald Trump responded by saying "maybe that's a question you should ask China," an answer that drew confusion from the Asian-American reporter. "Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically?" she questions, the implication being that Trump's line of questioning was racially motivated. Stonefaced, Trump invites another reporter to ask a question, though he changes his mind the moment before she's able to speak. Clearly perturbed by what he feels to be "nasty" questions, Trump calls the press conference to a premature close and walks off-stage.
While it's clear that both sides will spin the events however they see fit, the fact remains that Trump's relationship with the media is only getting more volatile by the day. Following the exchange, Trump's former political rival Senator Bernie Sanders weighed in, describing the President's behavior as "pathetic." The cycle continues.