Donald Trump's campaign lawyer calls White House reporters he clashed with 'POC liberal women' who ask 'stupid questions' after Asian American CBS journalist challenged him
A campaign lawyer representing President Donald Trump took to Twitter after midnight to slam female reporters who challenged the president at a press conference for asking 'stupid questions.'
Jenna Ellis, who also advised Trump during impeachment, weighed in after the president abruptly ended his Monday press conference following a clash with correspondents Wijia Jiang of CBS and Kaitlan Collins of CNN.
Ellis referred to them as 'POC liberal women,' noting that Trump has given numerous pressers. Jiang pressed Trump on why he speaks of global competition when the U.S. has 80,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
Jenna Ellis, an evangelical conservative who also advised Trump during impeachment, weighed in after the president abruptly ended his Monday press conference following a clash with correspondents Wijia Jiang of CBS and Kaitlan Collins of CNN
'This is coronavirus press conference number, what, probably somewhere in the 50s?' Ellis asked. 'POC liberal women have been present at every one of them and asked stupid questions. Sometimes for HOURS.'
'This is the first time he’s just walked off. Finally. You know nothing. Stop gaslighting,' she wrote, directing her online comments to the female reporters.
According to online urban dictionaries, POC can mean person of color. It also can mean 'pile of c---.'
Ellis, a legal advisor to the Trump 2020 campaign, previously ran a policy center at the James Dobson Institute and taught legal studies at Colorado Christian University. In books, columns, and on TV she has regularly gone after liberal judges and LGBT rights.
Trump reportedly brought her on as an advisor after watching her on Fox News, Axios reported.
During the press conference, Jiang asked Trump why he sees COVID-19 testing as a global competition when 80,000 Americans have died.
Ellis defended Trump's decision to abruptly end his press conference
She referred to female correspondents as 'POC liberal women'
She also referred to CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang as 'Asian-American Reporter' in the exchange
Trump hired Ellis after watching her on TV and having her appear at a Trump rally
CBS News' Weijia Jiang, who is Chinese American, asked President Trump why he mentioned China in his answer to her question, which was not about China
President Donald Trump berated an Asian American reporter that asked him about the death rate due to the coronavirus
CNN's Kaitlan Collins tried to ask her question but Trump ended his press conference
President Trump clashed with CBS News' Weijia Jiang (sitting in the red jacket) and CNN's Kaitlan Collins (standing in the white jacket) in the White House Rose Garden press conference
'Maybe that's a question you should ask China,' Trump told Jiang, who is Chinese-American. 'Don't ask me. Ask China that question, OK?'
The president then tried to move on, calling on CNN's Collins, but after a pause Jiang interjected to try to get a follow up. 'Why are you saying that to me specifically?' she said of the China comment.
'I'm telling you,' Trump replied. 'I'm not saying it specifically to anybody. I'm saying it to anybody that asks a nasty question.'
Jiang protested there was nothing 'nasty' about what she was asking, but a second inquiry as to why she was specifically told to 'ask China' went unanswered by the president.
When Collins then approached the microphone to ask her own set of questions, the president interrupted her, telling her 'No, it's okay,' and instructed a different reporter to step forward.
Collins had delayed her question, allowing Jiang to get in her follow-up – something Jiang would thank her for on Twitter later.
Collins then had a back-and-forth of her own with Trump. Trump tried to deny her a question by calling on yet another female reporter, Yamiche Alcindor of the PBS News Hour.
The president then abruptly ended the press conference and walked off away from the podium in the Rose Garden.
Referencing the tense chain of events on Twitter late Monday evening, the president accused the two reporters of conspiring together to sabotage the briefing.
'The Lamestream Media is truly out of control,' Trump blasted on Twitter. 'Look how they work (conspire!) together. They are the Enemy of the People, but don’t worry, we will WIN in November!'
