Having seen Yamiche Alcindor, Jim Acosta, Peter Alexander, and even Paula Reid make scenes during White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings, CNN political analyst and Playboy writer Brian Karem reasserted himself Tuesday over the press corps and sought to remind Americans of his nonsense. Naturally, it ended with President Trump calling him a “loudmouth” and “showboat” and threatening to end the briefing early.
Before even asking a question, Karem sunk his case with an antagonistic and unnecessary lead off with “600,000 cases, 25,000 deaths” in the U.S. as of Tuesday and lamenting that “I know you want to blame the [World Health Organization]” for the pandemic.
Only then did he claim without evidence that he’s “spoken with hundreds of people across the country in the last few weeks who say they still can't get tested and that they aren't social distancing” when Trump cut him off.
Trump stated that “the governors are supposed to do the testing,” but Karem kept shouting about how that wasn’t his question.
The President tried to move onto NBC’s Hans Nichols, but Karem wasn’t done.
So much for collegiality, Brian (click “expand”):
KAREM: That’s not the question. Wait a minute, Mr. President, that is not the question.
TRUMP: Quiet, quiet.
NICHOLS: If I can just get back --- if I just ---
TRUMP: Quiet.
KAREM: The question --- Mr. President, the question is ---
NICHOLS: --- if we can just get back to May 1 ---
KAREM: --- they say that they are not ---
NICHOLS: --- Mr. President, if ---
KAREM: --- they are following your lead that they are not social distancing.
TRUMP: The governors are doing the testing.
KAREM: That’s not it.
TRUMP: It’s now not up and it hasn't been up to the federal government.
KAREM: That’s not what I’m asking.
TRUMP [TO NICHOLS]: Go ahead.
NICHOLS: Mr. President, I have a quick follow-up on the WHO, but if --- if May 1 ---
KAREM: The question is about social distancing. Sir, the question is about ---
Seeing as how Karem couldn’t ask a question without extraneous information and was interrupting a colleague, the President had plenty of leeway to shut Karem down and call out his nonsense, leaving Karem with a look of pure sadness (click “expand”):
TRUMP: I told them when they put this guy here, it’s nothing but trouble. He’s a showboat. [INAUDIBLE KAREM SHOUTING] If you keep talking ---
KAREM: I’m just ---
TRUMP: --- I’ll leave and you can have it out with the rest of these people.
KAREM: I’m just trying ---
TRUMP: If you keep talking ---
KAREM: --- I’m just trying --
TRUMP: --- I'm going to leave and you can have it out with them.
KAREM: I’m asking just a simple question.
TRUMP: Just a loudmouth.
To see the relevant transcript from April 14’s briefing, click “expand.”
White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing
April 14, 2020
7:08 p.m. EasternBRIAN KAREM: Today 600,000 cases, 25,000 deaths. I know you want to blame the WHO, but I’ve spoken with hundreds of people across the country in the last few weeks who say they still can't get tested and that they aren't social distancing because they told ---
PRESIDENT DONALD TURMP: So, the governors ---
KAREM: Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me finish.
TRUMP: --- yeah, yeah, yeah.
KAREM: So, they aren’t ---
TRUMP: Excuse me. I know --- I know. your question.
KAREM: Well, no, no, no.
TRUMP: The governors --- the governors ---
KAREM: What?
TRUMP: --- are supposed to do testing. It's up to the governors. [TO HANS NICHOLS] Go ahead, please. Go ahead, please
[REPORTERS SHOUTING]
KAREM: That’s not the question. Wait a minute, Mr. President, that is not the question.
TRUMP: Quiet, quiet.
HANS NICHOLS: If I can just get back --- if I just ---
TRUMP: Quiet.
KAREM: The question --- Mr. President, the question is ---
NICHOLS: --- if we can just get back to May 1 ---
KAREM: --- they say that they are not ---
NICHOLS: --- Mr. President, if ---
KAREM: --- they are following your lead that they are not social distancing.
TRUMP: The governors are doing the testing.
KAREM: That’s not it.
TRUMP: It’s now not up and it hasn't been up to the federal government.
KAREM: That’s not what I’m asking.
TRUMP [TO NICHOLS]: Go ahead.
NICHOLS: Mr. President, I have a quick follow-up on the WHO, but if --- if May 1 ---
KAREM: The question is about social distancing. Sir, the question is about –
TRUMP: I told them when they put this guy here, it’s nothing but trouble. He’s a showboat. [INAUDIBLE KAREM SHOUTING] If you keep talking ---
KAREM: I’m just ---
TRUMP: --- I’ll leave and you can have it out with the rest of these people.
KAREM: I’m just trying ---
TRUMP: If you keep talking ---
KAREM: I’m just trying --
TRUMP: --- I'm going to leave and you can have it out with them.
KAREM: I’m asking just a simple question.
TRUMP: Just a loudmouth.
[KAREM SHAKES HEAD, THROWS PAPERS ON THE GROUND]
