President Trump has certainly made some racist comments during his time in politics. But his abrupt dismissal of CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang at Monday evening’s press conference isn’t one of them. Of course, that didn’t stop liberal journalists en masse from trying to make the story themselves, baselessly crying racism for the billionth time. As always, they fail to appreciate that they are diluting the charge for whenever it is actually warranted.
Here’s the exchange that prompted so much outcry.
Jiang asked Trump an antagonistic question, as is her right, demanding that he explain why he views coronavirus testing as a “global competition” and questioning his motives while “everyday Americans are losing their lives.”
Trump responded, “Well, they’re losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that’s a question you should ask China. Don’t ask me. Ask China that question. … You may get a very unusual answer.”
Then, Trump tried to move on, but Jiang interjected again and asked, “Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically?” The reporter’s follow-up question and intonation were clearly meant to accuse the president of racism, as she is an Asian American. Apparently, the thought didn’t cross her mind that Trump may have said that to her “specifically” because she was the one who asked him the question.
“I’m not saying it specifically to anybody. … I’m saying it to anyone that would ask a nasty question like that,” Trump replied. A bit more discord ensued, and when the gaggle of reporters wouldn’t move on, Trump abruptly ended the press conference and stormed out.
You can watch the full exchange for yourself below:
Naturally, liberal journalists decided to take an incident that otherwise may have reflected on the president somewhat poorly merely for his lack of decorum and suffer an unhinged meltdown trying without basis to make Trump’s deflection a racist attack on an Asian American journalist.
CNN’s Brian Stelter immediately cried racism, saying shortly after this incident, on-air, that “what we saw in that exchange with Weijia Jiang was something that has racial overtones. It’s racist to look at an Asian American White House correspondent and say, ‘Ask China.’” He was one of many left-wing journalists to jump to this charge, with his CNN colleague Wolf Blitzer calling the president’s behavior “very ugly.”
And here’s just a small sample of the truly unhinged pity party that quickly descended on left-wing social media, as #WeijiaJiang trended:
Another disgraceful, racist, temper tantrum by Trump b/c he was asked a pointed question by @weijia
Classy move by @kaitlancollins to allow her to follow up to challenge Trump’s obnoxious “ask China” comment.
Trump can’t handle smart, assertive women. @Honestly_Tara https://t.co/kOshBWFh2G
— Tara Setmayer (@TaraSetmayer) May 11, 2020
We have a racist bully in the White House; a coward who when confronted by strong women melts down faster than a cup of orange sherbet in the sun.
Bravo @weijia and @kaitlancollins, who graciously allowed Weijia Jiang to follow-up after Trump’s racist insult. #TrumpMeltdown https://t.co/Ad0l4kgzjX
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) May 11, 2020
This is what racism and misogyny looks like, @realDonaldTrump.
Once again, women reporters are showing us what bravery looks like in the face of a racist and sexist president. @weijia @KaitlanCollinspic.twitter.com/viRNQTWFnz
— reshmasaujani (@reshmasaujani) May 11, 2020
Weijia Jiang is an Asian American reporter who simply asked Trump why he’s treating coronavirus testing like a competition between countries out of prideful vanity when Americans are dying. Trump telling her to go “ask China” is so flagrantly racist, demeaning, and unacceptable.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) May 11, 2020
Trump has been laying blame for the coronavirus pandemic on China and on its regime since day one of the crisis. Rightly or wrongly, he has time and time again deflected criticism of his administration’s decision-making by pivoting to China. All he did this time was do this once again in response to essentially the same question as always — but this time coming from an Asian American reporter.
No one deserves to be demeaned or insulted for his or her race or ethnicity. Trump did not do this to Jiang, and the reaction to this has been utterly ridiculous.
UPDATE: This story has been corrected to reflect that CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, not CNN’s Oliver Darcy, called the president’s behavior “very ugly.”
