ABC Journo Trump Attacked Over Troops Gets Gushing Praise From CNN’s Stelter: ‘She Refused to Be Shushed’

CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter gushed praise for ABC News Supervising Producer Mariam Khan after President Donald Trump attacked her for asking about fundraising on troops killed in his Iran war.

Many people are outraged about a fundraising email from a Trump PAC that featured a photo from the dignified transfer that Trump attended last week in a campaign baseball hat.

When Trump gaggled with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Khan confronted him about the email.

Trump said “I do” when asked if it was appropriate, but claimed he hadn’t seen the email. He then proceeded to attack Khan and ABC News, and refused to answer when she asked, “Can you give a comment on the soldiers?”

A few minutes later, Khan asked, “Can you explain why you’re sending 5,000 Marines and sailors?”

Trump made a shushing gesture and snapped, “You’re a very obnoxious person!”

That performance earned praise from Khan’s rival network, as Stelter noted she pressed on knowing that as the pool reporter, she spoke for all of her colleagues. In an X/Twitter post, he wrote, “This reporter refused to be shushed”:

Yesterday Mariam Khan (@MKhan47) was the TV pool representative aboard Air Force One, meaning she was there on behalf of all the major networks. Khan brought up the fact that “your PAC put out a fundraising email” using photos taken at a dignified transfer of US service members killed in Kuwait. She asked: “Do you think that’s an appropriate email to send?”

Trump said yes, and that he didn’t see the email, then defended himself, then asked, “Who are you with?”

Trump genuinely didn’t recognize Khan — it was actually her first time aboard Air Force One with him. (She reported from Capitol Hill for ten years and recently switched beats to cover the State Department, Pentagon and foreign affairs.)

When she answered Trump’s question and said ABC, he said, “I don’t want any more from ABC,” and looked around the plane for other questioners.

But Khan was undeterred. She tried asking about the deaths of US service members. He didn’t respond. She later said, “Can you explain why we’re sending 5,000 marines and sailors?” and he replied with the shush, adding, “You’re a very obnoxious person.”

Khan kept trying — recognizing, again, that she was there on behalf of CNN, Fox and other networks. She asked about the Pentagon investigation into the missile strike at the school in Minab, Iran. He said, “We don’t know.” She asked about the deaths of service members again. He ignored her.

Khan was exemplary. She was, as one ABC colleague said, “steady as can be.” She was respectful and persistent. She refused to be shushed.

Watch above via White House press pool.

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