‘You’re a Disgrace!’: Donald Trump Insults Black Female Reporter As She Tries to Hold Him Accountable and Viewers Zero in On a Familiar Pattern
President Donald Trump is lashing out at reporters as they continue to press for details on the war with Iran.
In a news conference in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump called one reporter, Jasmine Wright with the nonprofit news outlet NOTUS, a “disgrace” after she asked how much longer the war would last.
“What do you say to the American people who want to know when the war will end and gas prices will go down?” Wright asked.
“You’re such a disgrace,” the president replied. “Did you hear what I just said? Vietnam—how many years was Vietnam?”
Before insulting her, the president went on a long monologue, comparing the war he is waging in Iran to the Vietnam War.
During the Vietnam War, the Military Times reports that Trump received five draft deferments, including four for education and one an injury. Military Times clarified he made the injury up.
Trump argued that he stayed true to his word, saying he “took the country out militarily” in the first four weeks of the war, despite his administration previously saying the conflict would last four to six weeks.
The president has until May 1 to obtain congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution (also known as the War Powers Act). It requires him to limit deployments in any ongoing conflict after 60 days – unless he is granted specific authorization to continue.
But as things currently stand, it’s rather unlikely Congress will authorize continued military action against Iran because of the deep division between Democrats and Republicans.
“We should not fail to note how extraordinary it is that our Senate Republican leadership has declined to do any oversight of a war that is costing billions of dollars every week,” Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy told Al Jazeera.
According to NPR, the United States has spent between $28 billion and over $50 billion in direct military expenditures.
Since the war began, gas prices have skyrocketed to a national average of $4.09 per gallon, according to AAA. Prices have gone up since the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, through which passes 20 percent of the world’s oil.
Major corporations have also implemented surcharges related to war. Amazon added a 3.5 percent fuel fee, and USPS announced an 8% temporary surcharge on packages.
Airplane ticket prices have also skyrocketed, according to Delta Air Lines. It is one of the airlines that has increased baggage fees to offset surging jet fuel prices.
When Wright pressed the president to answer the war-related question again, he ignored her.
“I thought it was going to be over in two weeks? Now we’re going to have another Vietnam???” wrote @alfinafae on Threads.
“They would’ve had to remove me from the Oval [Office] cause I’d be asking who tf he was talking to,” @jmajor215 added.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also has called Wright out. It happened during a press briefing last summer after Trump issued a warning about planned protests.
“So if there were peaceful protests on Saturday for the military parade, President Trump would allow that?” Wright asked.
“Of course, the president supports peaceful protests. What a stupid question,” Leavitt scolded.
Some people online accuse the Trump administration of targeting Black reporters.
“He saved his worst insults for women of color. I cannot wait until he’s gone,” wrote @diannemullins4200 on Threads.
“There seems to be some sort of pattern to the reporters that he insults,” @chefjoeknows added.