Twitter users are rallying behind White House reporter Yamiche Alcindor after President Trump berated her at Sunday’s daily coronavirus briefing for asking a question.
The exchange happened when the PBS NewsHour correspondent asked Trump about his claim that state leaders didn’t need as much medical equipment as some are requesting.
Related Story: Black Journalists Blast Trump for ‘Demeaning’ Attack on PBS Reporter
“You’ve said New York might not need 30,000 [ventilators], you said it on Sean Hannity’s Fox News,” Alcindor said to Trump.
Despite making the comment in an interview broadcast on Fox News, Trump replied: “No, I didn’t say that.”
WATCH: @Yamiche asks President Trump to clarify his comments second-guessing the number of ventilators governors say they may need to fight COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/8OpMJej56G
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) March 30, 2020
He then began to insult Alcindor and told her: “Why don’t you people — why don’t you act in a little more positive. It’s always trying to get you, get you, and you know what, that’s why people don’t trust the media anymore.”
As Alcindor continued her questions, Trump launched into a personal attack. “Excuse me, you didn’t hear me, that’s why you used to work for the [New York] Times and now you work for somebody else,” he said. “Be nice. Don’t be threatening. Be nice.”
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Journalists, political pundits, and comedians blasted Trump and praised Alcindor on Twitter by using the hashtag #WeLoveYamiche.
“Trump telling a black female reporter to ‘Be nice. Don’t be threatening’ AND referring to her as ‘you people’ is straight up gaslighting and racist. Full stop. He’s not even trying to hide it anymore,” tweeted writer and disability activist Melissa Blake. “Kudos to @Yamiche for calm in the face of deplorable nastiness. #WeLoveYamiche.”
Trump telling a black female reporter to “Be nice. Don't be threatening” AND referring to her as “you people” is straight up gaslighting and racist. Full stop. He’s not even trying to hide it anymore.
Kudos to @Yamiche for calm in the face of deplorable nastiness. #WeLoveYamiche
— Melissa Blake (@melissablake) March 30, 2020
“Imagine how good a Black woman has to be to get the job of asking the president questions. Just think about how much better she has to be than everyone around her. Then imagine having to put up w/ this racist & misogynistic nonsense,” wrote comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell.
Imagine how good a Black woman has to be to get the job of asking the president questions. Just think about how much better she has to be than everyone around her. Then imagine having to put up w/ this racist & misogynistic nonsense. @Yamiche is the best & deserves better. pic.twitter.com/9YJ0Nn2Koq
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) March 29, 2020
“#WeLoveYamiche and every professional journalist on the job covering the #CoronavirusOutbreak. Thank you,” tweeted Fox News contributor and former DNC Chair Donna Brazile.
#WeLoveYamiche and every professional journalist on the job covering the #CoronavirusOutbreak. Thank you.
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) March 30, 2020
Comedian and actress Paula Poundstone added: “#WeLoveYamiche I love Yamiche because she’s not hysterical. She remains calm, and asks important, reasonable questions that need answers. She understands the importance of facts.”
#WeLoveYamiche I love Yamiche because she's not hysterical. She remains calm, and asks important, reasonable questions that need answers. She understands the importance of facts.
— Paula Poundstone (@paulapoundstone) March 30, 2020
