“You’re a terrible person”: Trump lashes out at CNN reporter at surreal press conference

By Joe Berkowitz

Anyone who thought a couple of pipe bombs sent to CNN might tone down President Trump’s rhetoric toward the news outlet has not been paying close attention the last two years.

During an ultra-rare press conference following Tuesday’s midterm election, Trump escalated his ongoing war of words with CNN’s Jim Acosta. Back in August, during a press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump pointedly refused to take a question from Acosta, calling him Fake News. (Previously, Trump called him “Crazy Jim Acosta” on Twitter.) This time, the president did take a question from Acosta and appeared to immediately regret it.

When Acosta asked Trump about inflating the supposed threat to America from the caravan, he responded, “Honestly, I think you should let me run the country and you run CNN.”

The situation only devolved from there.

Acosta refused to relinquish his microphone, physically tangling with an aide who sought to take it away from him. Shouting over Trump’s attempts to move on to another reporter, Acosta managed to ask a question about the Russia investigation. Trump lingered from his podium a few steps before returning to give Acosta an old-fashioned tongue-lashing.

“You are a rude, terrible person,” the president said. “And you shouldn’t be working for CNN.”

NBC correspondent Peter Alexander, who got to ask the next question, stood up for Acosta, only to receive some of Trump’s ire too.

“Well, I’m not a big fan of yours, either,” the president of the United States actually said.

These weren’t the only reporters to grate on the president at this press conference, though. He also refused to take a question from April Ryan.

All in all, business as usual as we enter the back half of the most unusual presidency of our lifetimes.

 
 

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