‘It Was Surreal’: Meet the Teenage Reporter President Trump Praised During His Press Conference
If you were watching President Trump‘s doozy of a press conference on Thursday, you might have caught that moment towards the end where he complimented a reporter for asking a “nice question” about Melania Trump. That reporter was Kyle Mazza, and quite frankly, he’s amazed he was even able to ask the president a question. Here’s a transcript of that exchange:
QUESTION: Mr. President…
(CROSSTALK) QUESTION: …reopening of the White House Visitors Office?
TRUMP: Yes.
QUESTION: And she does a lot of great work for the country as well (ph). Can you talk a little bit about what’s first for (ph) Melania Trump does for the country and (inaudible) so opening White House Visitors Office, what does that mean…
TRUMP: Now, that’s what I call a nice question. That is very – who are you with?
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
TRUMP: Good, I’m gonna start watching, all right? Thank you very much. Melania’s terrific, she was here last night, we had dinner with Senator Rubio and his wife who is by the way, lovely.
And we had a really good discussion about Cuba because we have very similar views on Cuba. And Cuba was very good to me in the Florida election, as you know the Cuban Americans. And I think that Melania’s gonna be outstanding, that’s right, she just opened up the visitors center, in other words, touring of the White House.
She, like others that she’s working with, feel very, very strongly about women’s issue, women’s difficulties. Very, very strongly, she’s a very, very strong advocate. I think she’s a great representative for this country.
And a funny thing happens, because she gets – she gets so unfairly – Melania, the things they say. I’ve known her for a long time, she was a very successful person, she was a very successful model. She did really well.
She would go home at night and didn’t even want to go out with people. She was a very private person. She was always the highest quality that you’ll ever find. And the things they say – I’ve known her for a long time – the things they say are so unfair. And actually, she’s been apologized to, as you know, by various media because they said things that were lies.
I’ll just tell you this. I think she’s going to be a fantastic first lady. She’s going to be a tremendous representative of women and of the people. And helping her and working her will be Ivanka, who is a fabulous person and a fabulous, fabulous woman. And they’re not doing this for money.
They’re not doing this for pay, they’re doing this because they feel it; both of them. And Melania goes back and forth and after Barron finishes school – because it’s hard to take a child out of school with a few months left – she and Barron will be moving over to the White House. OK, thank you, that’s a very nice question.
Mazza is a 19 year old reporter from Fair Lawn, N.J., who started Universal News Forever Network (UNF) when he was only 8. In a profile about himself with PIX11, Mazza said that he built his website by listening to police scanners, covering local news, and collecting press credentials and press plates however he could throughout the years.
“It was surreal,” Mazza said when talking about his question to Trump. “It was a very interesting moment. I didn’t think he was going to call in me. I kept saying ‘Mr. President,’ but then I just came out with the question.”
News viewers might expect to see more of Mazza this week, because he’ll be in the Briefing Room to try and ask some questions to Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
Watch above, via PIX11.
[image via screengrab]
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