In the Oval Office, the president asks a reporter to take off her face mask before asking him...

[demmiblue]

In the Oval Office, the president asks a reporter to take off her face mask before asking him a question.

He assures her that the fellow reporter standing near her is “not worried.”

Link to tweet

FFS.

[Doodley]

1. Why the hell did she take it off? If you can't stand up to a bully, don't be a reporter.

[Miguelito Loveless]

2. I have lost all respect for the press

and the scientists who buckle to Trump.

[chia]

3. Same.

[Miguelito Loveless]

4. This includes Fauci and Birx

[chia]

12. Same again...

Add to that the career government officials who were in a position to effect change to speak out and speak up, and kept their heads down and didn't. :/

On the other hand, I have great admiration for Sally Yates, Marie Yovanovitch, Alexander Vindman, et al.

[maxrandb]

15. Yes! At some point the "we need to hang on to stop the crazy"

Reaches the point of diminishing returns. I think we were at that point 3.5 years ago.

Anyone who agrees to work for this asshat is an enabler.

He's fucking nuts and should be locked away in a sanitarium... yesterday.

It's ok Drs Fauci and Birx. We all know it,.. just come out and say it.

History will reward you.

[chia]

16. I've been mystified all along why more didn't speak out, but it did help to see it explained

in the context of military insubordination, or defying/questioning the chain of command. I've never been in the military and of course defer to those who have, but it's a big thing to refuse to follow the orders of your superiors. I wondered how much of that played into the silence of generals Kelly and Mattis, and others, but it didn't stop Vindman doing the right thing. He paid the price, but he has his integrity intact.

[Hekate]

7. Some outstanding journalists stand up to him daily. You haven't seen Yamiche Alcindor pursue ...

...a line of questioning? He particularly hates women, or haven't you noticed. CNN is doing a great job now with their real-time fact-checking going by on their chyrons.

As for the scientists, Dr Fauci has not buckled, not once, and continues to be a source of factual info. Dr Birx, though, looks broken and sick at heart. We are watching an abused woman.

[Miguelito Loveless]

10. Scientists and reporters who sit quietly

while Trump spouts insane nonsense and fail to call him on it are collaborators. Birx should have stood up and walked out, at the very least. The CDC chief initially stood his ground, but then tried to walk back the comment under Trump's supervision.

I have had a few bosses like Trump in my life. Bullies cannot deal with people who fight back. They depend on people to follow social niceties and comply.

[mahina]

11. I was bummed that he asked one reporter who she works for and when she said NPR, he said he wasn't

Calling on her.


Ugh ugh ugh.

[demosincebirth]

14. Why do they even show up?

[Grasswire2]

13. yes, people who condemn "the press" aren't paying attention

And one can't grasp the totality of the work of our watchdog press by simply watching the daily briefing.

They write. They opine. They appear on television networks.

[SoonerPride]

5. I would have said "are you being sarcastic? now back to my question, sir."

[procon]

6. This is no different than Trump telling her to take off

her top. Trump is a sexist pig.

Her facemask didn't matter to him in the least, he wanted to dominate her and humiliate her. He tries to do this with every woman reporter, but many of them have gotten wise to his tactics and bested him, forcing him to run off or point to a reporter who will give him a PR opportunity to brag and boast about his self described geniusness.

[Solly Mack]

8. Should have told him no way asshole.

Screw the he's the president and all that. The man is a menace. He's the one that needs to show respect for her right to protect herself.

But a serial sexual predator wouldn't understand that.

[enough]

9. Always always with the dominance thing. NT