Trump’s treatment of reporters speaks volumes

WASHINGTON — President Trump loves to attack the “fake” and “dishonest” press, and his most avid supporters love to watch him do it.

But yesterday’s hastily called White House press conference gave the rest of the country a revealing, Trump’s-eye view of how he perceives those he believes are outside his circle of influence and adoration. And a warped view it is.

Take Trump’s exchange with reporter April Ryan of American Urban Radio they friends of yours?”

Ryan, of course, is not a White House or CBC receptionist. She’s a veteran White House reporter who has interviewed three presidents before Trump. And black people are not all “friends” with each other, nor are they subordinates whom Trump can order around. But that seemed to be Trump’s view.

Or take the fact that Trump, who never wastes time condemning attacks in the U.S. or abroad linked to Muslim extremists, has yet to even address the dozens of bomb threats, vandalism incidents and other antiSemitic hate crimes being committed in the country in recent weeks.

Asked about those incidents by Ami Magazine reporter Jake Turx — who specifically prefaced his question by saying he was not accusing Trump or anyone in his administration of anti-Semitism — the president still went on the attack.

Trump called Turx’s query “not a fair question,” told him to “sit down” and falsely said Turx “lied” about the question he was going to ask.

“I hate the charge,” Trump said after being charged with nothing. “I find it repulsive. I hate even the question.”

Touting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement Wednesday that Trump was a “friend” to Jewish people, Trump said to Turx: “So you take that, instead of having to get up and ask a very insulting question like that.”

The lesson for Jewish Americans: Trump is uninterested in your terror unless it is perpetrated by Muslims or by someone in inner-city Chicago. Merely asking the president to address anti-Semitic attacks is “insulting.”

Trump’s pointed words to these reporters will likely be cheered by the supporters who file into his rally in Melbourne, Fla., tomorrow and scores more who will watch on television. But from the millions of others insulted by his behavior, there’ll be no applause. Networks, who asked if he’d consulted with members of the CBC — that’s the Congressional Black Caucus, as Ryan had to clarify for the president — about his urban agenda.

“Well I would, tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting?” Trump asked Ryan, who is black. “Are