Asked Thursday to say definitively that the media aren’t an “enemy of the people,” as administration staffer and presidential daughter Ivanka Trump did earlier in the day, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to do so multiple times.
Instead, she delivered the White House’s tried-and-true anti-media line, at one point telling the press they should’ve covered President Donald Trump’s recent trip to Florida in a more positive light.
“Just this week, the media refused to cover his remarks in Florida highlighting efforts on workforce development,” Sanders told NPR’s Sarah McCammon, who asked about Ivanka Trump’s comments. “In fact, the pooler for the press said that there was no news made, despite the fact that the governor of the state joined with dozens of businesses across the state of Florida to announce thousands of new jobs.”
CNN’s Jim Acosta pressed Sanders later: “You did not say that the press is not the enemy of the people,” he said, before asking her to do so. “I think we deserve that.”
“I think the President has made his position known,” Sanders said, adding that the press “frequently lower the level of conversation in this country” and that “repeatedly, the media resorts to personal attacks without any content other than to incite anger.”
“The media,” Sanders said, “has attacked me personally on a number of occasions.”
She cited the White House Correspondents Association Dinner again, in which she said comedian Michelle Wolf “attack[ed] my appearance and call[ed] me a traitor to my own gender.”
“The media continues to ratchet up the verbal assault against the President and everyone in this administration,” Sanders said.
Acosta tried once more: “The President of the United States should not refer to us as the enemy of the people. His own daughter acknowledges that and all I’m asking you to do, Sarah, is to acknowledge that right now and right here.”
Sanders refused.
“I appreciate your passion, I share it. I’ve addresses this question, I’ve addressed my personal feelings. I’m here to speak on behalf of the President, he’s made his comments clear.”
Watch below:
Here's the video. Sarah Sanders is asked multiple times if she believes the media is the enemy of the people. She refuses each time to respond. (via Yahoo) pic.twitter.com/q9jvKSzl3u
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 2, 2018
I watched this and have never been so infuriated and at the same time, afraid for our democracy.
This childish little brat (pick Trump and/or Sarah) who fail to understand the extraordinary value of the 4th Estate makes them both a greater threat than we realize.
I ended up sending an email to CNN in support of Acosta and would suggest to all to do the same.
The rest of the press corps needs to walk out and not cover Trump or Sarah again. They need the attention and enough is enough.
Michelle Wolf is a Journalist? Who knew?
Does the Indeed job posting for the Trump WH Press Sec. include in it’s requirements an utter lack of personal integrity?
Oh they understand, and that’s the point. This is a concerted attack on the free press, not a byproduct of ignorance.
I saw a “Bernie 2016” bumper sticker on a car this morning on I-95 and almost went into an unprovoked state of road rage.