Twitter Explodes Following Interaction Between Trump And Reporter During Press Conference
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- During a heated news conference to announce his new nominee to lead the Department of Labor, President Trump caused social media storm by asking an African American reporter to set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus.
Twitter exploded following this exchange between the president and April Ryan, an African American reporter and long time White House correspondent.
"I'll tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting?" "Do you want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours?" Trump questioned. ? Ryan replied: "No," adding that she was "just a reporter." "Set up the meeting," Trump continued. "Let's go, set up a meeting. I would love to meet with the black caucus. I think it's great. The Congressional Black Caucus."
Many people took to social media to express their feelings:
Wait. What? Did @POTUS really ask @AprilDRyan to get him a meeting with @OfficialCBC for real??!! Wow! #TrumpPressConference
— Sophia A. Nelson (@IAmSophiaNelson) February 16, 2017
April Ryan: Will you meet with the Black Caucus?
— Donald J Orwell (@DonaldJOrwell) February 16, 2017
Trump: Do you know them? How about Michael Jordan? Miles Davis? Frederick Douglass?
April Ryan needs a medal for restraint because???? She is a professional reporter, not a secretary Not all black people know each other
— CM (@C_Muteba) February 17, 2017
Can April Ryan get me in contact with Beyonce tho?
— Jason Stevenson (@ProducerJasonS) February 16, 2017
The caucus also took to Twitter, writing in a tweet they reached out to him, but never heard back from him.
Hi, @realDonaldTrump. We're the CBC. We sent you a letter on January 19, but you never wrote us back. Sad! Letter: https://t.co/58KiuHmITF
— The Black Caucus (@TheBlackCaucus) February 16, 2017
Former CBC chairman, Representative Elijah Cummings responded on MSNBC.
"A lot of people assume all black people know all black people and then the idea that the president would ask somebody in the press pool to setup a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus and he's the president of the United States of America, he could make that phone call himself."