President Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence accused a reporter of being homophobic and quizzed others on whether they had written about Hunter Biden’s emails during a bad-tempered Trump campaign call with journalists expecting to discuss the president’s final debate.
Instead, Richard Grenell refused to answer questions that were not related to a cache of emails that have prompted allegations of Biden family corruption.
So when Tamara Keith of NPR asked whether the controversial material would be brought up during Thursday’s debate, he turned the tables.
He asked: “Have you reported on the Biden emails?”
She explained that her role was to cover the White House rather than the Biden campaign before the pair clashed.
“I’m speaking. Don’t be homophobic,” said Grenell, one of the most senior homosexual men in Trump world. “Don’t interrupt.”
The call came during a week in which Trump has angrily escalated his attacks on American media as he prepares for a crucial debate that might be his last chance to turn around a failing campaign.
On Thursday, he released a White House recording of a contentious 60 Minutes interview ahead of its scheduled broadcast.
He cut short the interview reportedly because he did not like the line of questioning.
“Look at the bias, hatred and rudeness on behalf of 60 Minutes and CBS,” he wrote as he released the recording.
Grenell channeled some of the same anger in the press call, expressing frustration that the story of Hunter’s emails had not made a bigger impact. And he turned particular attention on major outlets that have steered clear of the story.
He declined to answer questions about the president’s plan for election night, the decision to release the 60 Minutes tape, or his reported recent trip to Mexico City, apparently as part of an effort to negotiate Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s peaceful exit.
When CNN reporter DJ Judd followed up the Maduro question, Grenell said: “Can I ask you, have you reported on the Biden emails?”
Judd responded by explaining he reported on the Trump campaign, prompting Grenell to say it was troubling that CNN had not reported on the emails.
“I fail in seeing your thought process, picking and choosing when you decide to write on something. This is a call to talk about the Biden emails,” he said.
In fact, the call had been billed as an opportunity to preview the debate.
He did, in the last question, address the debate, saying that the president would be eager to bring up the subject of the emails.
“We feel strongly that this is an issue that the American people are eager to know about, and they’re already digging in on their own, with no help from the media,” he said. “And so, yes, the president will be looking for opportunities to make clear to the American people just exactly what Joe Biden has done.”
