Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) responded to a misstep from President Donald Trump in a press conference Thursday by saying that “a lot of people assume that all black people know all black people.”
During an impromptu press conference Thursday, Trump asked a black reporter, April Ryan, to “set up” a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. She had asked if the group of lawmakers would be included in his administration’s formulation of an urban agenda.
“Well, I would. I tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting?” Trump asked Ryan. “Do you want to set up the meeting?”
“Are they friends of yours? No, go ahead,” Trump said, after Ryan told him she was a reporter. “Set up the meeting.”
In an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes Thursday night, Cummings reflected on the exchange.
“I don’t think he knew what the CBC was. And then I think the young lady, Ms. Ryan, cleared it up and made sure he knew of what it was. But I think a lot of people assume that all black people know all black people,” Cummings said.
“And then the idea that the President would ask somebody in the press pool to set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus — he’s the President of the United States of America, he can make that phone call himself. I laughed it off, but it’s consistent with what we’ve seen from President Trump all along.”
Watch the exchange below via MSNBC:
Rep. Elijah Cummings on Trump’s remarks about @AprilDRyan & the CBC: “A lot of people assume that all black people know all black people.” pic.twitter.com/SnN3y8dTo9
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 17, 2017
