President Donald Trump had a curt response for a reporter during a press conference on Friday in which he appeared to mock her for reading from her notes instead of “speaking” directly to him.
The exchange took place not long after the Republican president had taken part in the swearing-in of Howard Lutnick as secretary of commerce in the Oval Office.
White House correspondent Kate Sullivan was midway through her question about digital service taxes when Trump promptly interrupted her, asking “I mean what are you doing there, reading it?”
“Yeah, it’s my question,” the reporter shot back, to which Trump answered, “can’t you just say it without having to read it?”
During the same session, the president also mocked an ABC News reporter who’d put questions to him about mounting public backlash against Elon Musk and his DOGE temporary advisory committee.
“Who do you work for?” Trump asked, adding “no wonder” when the journalist told him the name of his network.
Both exchanges are just two from among a slew of other attacks on the press by the president in a week that’s also seen him rage-posting about MSNBC, seemingly in response an unfavourable segment on The Rachel Maddow Show, as well as continuing to curtail the Associated Press’ access to the Oval Office.
