President Trump repeatedly accused a black reporter of posing a “racist question” when she asked whether he has emboldened white nationalists by declaring himself a “nationalist.”
“I don’t know why you would say that,” Trump told Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour, during Wednesday’s press conference in the East Room. “That’s such a racist question.”
[Related: Trump calls CNN’s Jim Acosta ‘a rude, terrible person’]
President Trump to @Yamiche: “That’s a racist question.” pic.twitter.com/4bgrMjQFZk
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 7, 2018
The president called himself a “nationalist” during a rally in Houston, Texas, last month. He urged the crowd then to embrace the word and said that “it should be brought back,” while his opponents have said Trump is using a racist dogwhistle to please white supremacists.
During his post-election press conference Wednesday, Trump questioned how his use of the phrase could encourage white nationalists given the support he said he has from black voters.
“Why do I have among the highest poll numbers with African-Americans? Why do I have my highest poll numbers?” he asked. “That’s such a racist question. Honestly, I know you have it written down, that’s a racist question.”
Trump also said he loves the country and the world, but said his goal is to focus first on the well-being of the United States.
“I also love the world and I don’t mind helping the world,” he said. “But we have to straighten out our country first. We have a lot of problems, excuse me, but to say that what you said is so insulting to me. It’s a very terrible thing that you said.”
