U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter during a Thanksgiving press conference, calling the journalist a “lightweight” and telling him, “I’m the president of the United States”.
Stopped Trump's rant
The Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason pushed back against Trump's false claims of election fraud.
Mason had asked Trump if he will concede when the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden.
“Well if they do, they made a mistake, because this election was a fraud,” Trump replied.
Trump then began his rant about the number of votes Biden got compared to former President Barack Obama.
When Mason cut him off during his lengthy digression, Trump snapped: “Don’t talk to me that way.”
″You’re just a lightweight. Don’t talk to me that way. I’m the president of the United States. Don’t ever talk to the president that way,” he added.
JUST IN: President Trump snaps at reporter objecting to the President's false claims about the election: "You're just a lightweight. Don't talk to me that way. I'm the President of the United States. Don't ever talk to the President that way." pic.twitter.com/RbTKItjs9L
— The Hill (@thehill) November 26, 2020
Evaded questions
The outburst was not unique.
Throughout much of the press conference, the president evaded questions and made allegations about voter fraud.
Trump did not say whether he will attend Biden’s inauguration, attacked election officials, and complained that his successor shouldn’t be allowed to take credit for a Covid-19 vaccine.
Trump has often insulted and demeaned journalists who ask questions that he doesn’t like.
In response to Trump's outburst, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper tweeted that Mason is an “excellent journalist” who will “still be working at the White House after January 20, 2021”.
The excellent journalist @jeffmason1 is on the other end of this spectacle.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 27, 2020
Jeff will still be working at the White House after January 20, 2021. https://t.co/OJoGCvzUrG
Top photo via The Hill
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