Two and a half hours before the CBS Evening News suffered catastrophic technical difficulties Tuesday that kept it from airing, CBS White House correspondent Paula Reid was embarrassed by President Trump after she fired off a mind-numbing question wondering what the White House will do to get unemployed Americans “back to work.”
Predictably, Trump snuffed out Reid’s nonsense, calling her “a rude person” and quickly moved on, insisting “that’s enough for you.”
And before anyone suggests he’s sexist, recall how Trump has clashed with reporters like Jim Acosta, Peter Alexander, and Phil Rucker.
Here was Reid’s question: “Mr. President, why haven't you announced a plan to get 36 million unemployed Americans back to work? You're overseeing historic economic despair. What’s the plan? Where’s the plan?”
“Overseeing historic economic despair?” Of course, he has, but despite what the media have argued, a coronavirus coming from China had nothing to do with him. So, if we have this correct, Reid suggested the Trump administration needs to do more to get Americans back to work as if he hasn’t addressed that issue.
Trump chastised Reid as “just a rude person, you are” after replying that they have “announced a plan” and are “opening up our country.”
Apparently, the Opening Up America Again guidelines don’t count.
“We're opening up our country. We're opening it up very fast. The plan is that each state is opening and it is opening up very effectively and you --- when you see the numbers I think, even you will be impressed which is pretty hard to impress you,” he added.
Trump moved onto Canadian journalist Richard Latendresse of Quebec’s Groupe TVA, but Reid wanted to follow up. Predictably, Trump wasn’t having it:
REID: A lot of these jobs are not coming back.
TRUMP [TO LATENDRESSE]: Go ahead. [TO REID] That’s enough for you.
To reiterate, the liberal media have been viciously attacking the President (or anyone) focused on reopening the economy, safely getting people back to work, and unleashing opportunities for jobs to return or new ones be created. It’s pathetic that any journalist would even think to suddenly change their tune without people noticing.
The great AG Hamilton tweeted this about the exchange: “The press has complained that Trump is trying to rush reopening, but now he should be seizing power from states and dictating a timeline? CDC issued guidelines for states. States make their own decisions based on their situations when/how to move forward.”
To see the relevant transcript of the press availability on May 19, click “expand.”
White House cabinet meeting
May 19, 2020
4:00 p.m. EasternPAULA REID: Mr. President, why haven't you announced a plan to get 36 million unemployed Americans back to work? You're overseeing historic economic despair. What’s the plan? Where’s the plan?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Oh, I think we've announced a plan. We’re opening up our country, just a rude person you are. We're opening up our country. We're opening it up very fast. The plan is that each state is opening and it is opening up very effectively and you --- when you see the numbers I think, even you will be impressed which is pretty hard to impress you. [TO Richard Latendresse] Yeah, go ahead, please.
REID: A lot of these jobs are not coming back.
TRUMP [TO LATENDRESSE]: Go ahead. [TO REID] That’s enough for you.
