Trump Lashes Out At Reporter On Air Force One After Triggering Putin Question
President Donald Trump was triggered by Washington Post White House correspondent Michael Birnbaum when he asked a pointed question about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has taken years of heat over his relationship with Putin, which has only intensified over the course of his nascent second term as his handling of the Ukraine war has outraged critics across the political and journalistic spectrum.
That criticism intensified after the Trump-Zelensky clash in the Oval Office last Friday — which devolved into a stunning outright shouting match and ended with Zelensky’s ejection from the White House. As Trump expresses confidence Putin will make peace, Russia has continued “bombing the hell” out of Ukraine, in Trump’s own words.
The Putin criticisms have also long been a sore spot, and were the subject of a famous moment at his presidential debate with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
That appeared to be the case on Sunday as President Trump emerged into the press cabin aboard Air Force One to speak with reporters. Trump bristled when Birnbaum asked if Putin “is disrespecting” him by attacking Ukraine, and blew him off with an insult:
MICHAEL BIRNBAUM: Is President Putin disrespecting you by attacking Ukraine when you’re trying to make peace there, Mr. President?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Who?
MICHAEL BIRNBAUM: Is President Putin disrespecting you by attacking Ukraine when you’re trying to make peace there?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: What did he do?
MICHAEL BIRNBAUM: Well, he’s attacking Ukraine.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Is he disrespecting me?
MICHAEL BIRNBAUM: Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Who? Who are you with?
MICHAEL BIRNBAUM: I’m– Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Uh, you’ve lost a lot of credibility. Go ahead. What else?
Birnbaum was the print pool reporter for the day, and noted — with a wisecrack — that Trump did take a question from him later in the gaggle:
“You’ve lost a lot of credibility,” POTUS said, after asking your pooler’s outlet. Pooler asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was disrespecting him by attacking Ukraine while POTUS attempts to bring peace to the country. POTUS did not answer the question.
(POTUS did later answer one of your pooler’s questions, indicating, perhaps, that the Washington Post can live to fight another day.)
Watch above via C-SPAN.
