There was no reason for Donald Trump to take a field trip Thursday afternoon to the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial, but as the president prioritizes distractions over real work, he stopped by for an in-person look at the painting that has apparently fascinated him.
After taking some time to comment on how pleased he is with the “Reflecting Pond” (a name no one has ever used to refer to the Reflecting Pool before he stumbled onto it this week), Trump also fielded some questions from reporters, including ABC News’ Rachel Scott, who asked a question he really ought to have seen coming: “Mr. President, you are here against the backdrop of the war in Iran. Why focus on all these projects right now, especially with gas prices soaring?”
After a brief rant about his interest in beautification, Trump shifted his focus from the issue at hand to the journalist who dared to ask why he’s so invested in diversions.
“It’s such a stupid question that you asked,” the Republican whined before suggesting that Scott might “understand dirt” better than he does. Trump said he considers Scott to be “one of the worst reporters” and a “horror show,” before adding he also considers ABC to be “fake.”
The president concluded, “A question like that is a disgrace to our country.”
One of the White House’s social media accounts apparently thought this made Trump look good, and it boasted online about the president having “destroyed” Scott.
That’s certainly one way to look at what transpired.
Another way is to acknowledge the unavoidable fact that when it comes to women in media, the president still can’t restrain himself or treat journalists who are women with a modicum of respect.
The problem isn’t exactly new. Last fall, there were a series of stunning incidents that made the problem painfully clear:
Nov. 14: En route to Florida for one of his many golfing weekends, Trump fielded a few questions from reporters on Air Force One. When a Bloomberg journalist took the opportunity to ask about one of the Jeffrey Epstein emails, the president snapped, “Quiet, piggy.”
Nov. 18: When Mary Bruce, ABC News’ chief White House correspondent, asked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump whined that the reporter’s question might “embarrass” his “guest,” seemingly unaware of the fact that it’s not the job of the press to protect the feelings of foreign authoritarians. Trump went on to describe the question as “insubordinate,” as though the journalists were somehow employees of the Saudi royal family or the White House, before telling Bruce she’s “terrible.”
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Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He’s also the bestselling author of “Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.”
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