Trump snaps at Reuters reporter for asking about conceding election
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 4 years ago • 46 commentsBy: Courtney Subramanian (USA TODAY)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Courtney SubramanianUSA TODAY
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Thursday angrily admonished a reporter for asking him whether he would concede the election once the Electoral College formally votes to make Democrat Joe Biden the next president, calling the journalist a "lightweight."
Trump evaded the question by arguing that the Electoral College would make "a mistake" by voting for Biden and leveled more baseless claims about voter fraud. As Trump continued to repeat unfounded claims, Jeff Mason of Reuters pressed him to answer whether he would concede.
"Don't talk to me that way," Trump snapped. "You're just a lightweight. Don't talk to me that way."
Trump's combative exchange with reporters after a Thanksgiving call with troops stationed overseas was the first time he took questions since he lost the Nov. 3 election more than three weeks ago.
"I'm the president of the United States. Don't ever talk to the president that way," Trump said as he continued to lash out at Mason before moving on to "another question."
'Take it off':Trump requested a White House reporter remove his mask while asking a question. He didn't.
States must certify their votes before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 - many already have - and resolve all challenges to the outcome by Dec. 8.
Though he said he would continue his legal fights over the election results in states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, Trump later acknowledged that he would leave the White House if the Electoral College formally recognizes President-elect Biden.
"Certainly I will. Certainly I will. and you know that," Trump said, adding that it would be "very hard" to concede.
The president's remarks were his first in recognizing the need for a peaceful transfer of power, a question that has hung over the country since Biden was declared the winner.
Trump has previously clashed with Mason, a former president of the White House Correspondents' Association, in several exchanges throughout his presidency. Trump mocked Mason in September when the reporter refused to take off his mask while asking the president a question.
He also argued with Mason last year during a press conference with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto when Mason pressed Trump on his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the call that launched his impeachment.
Contributing: John Fritze
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As his latest absurdity, Donald Trump is trying to cloak himself in the imbedded dignity of his office.
He should have thought of that before he spent the last 5 years playing the buffoon , as president of the United States, and before he chose to lie to the American people thousands of times as president of the United States. He is fortunate that very few if any reporters and interviewers have plainly confronted him about his pathological lying. That has allowed him to try to play the victim of an unfair press.
Trump should resign from office today. He has disgraced his office in a way and to an extent that no other president in history ever has.
Sadly, too many conservatives and even some moderates and independents have played down Trump's glaring unfitness for office. Now he feels emboldened to stick around for four more years acting like a government in exile.
Too many people have enabled this travesty against our country and some continue to do so.
Oh BS. Just because moderates and independents don't obsess about Trump, doesn't mean we enabled him. We just stuck him into the proper perspective. If it wasn't for our vote, he would still be in office.
Get over it!
Keep telling yourself that as we have to continue listening to this asshole every day for four more years. Not enough people opposed him from the beginning.
John, you have a real knack for alienating people who agree with you. There are plenty of moderates and independents here who opposed Trump right from the start. Perrie is one of them. She doesn't have to post 5 seeds a day about how bad he is to prove that she knows how bad he is.
WTF? Seriously?
Maybe too many people opposed Hillary?
Ever look at it THAT way?
There are a handful of people on this site that have spoken out constantly against Trump since the day he took office. A handful. We are the ones that take the most criticism here.
Maybe it is the level of vitriol on display.
Maybe it is because the same old arguments or declarations have been made every single day while Trump has been President, and some even before.
Maybe it is the continual harassment and criticisms of people who simply aren't as ate up with hating Trump as some of the "handful".
It's true, not everybody is obsessed with speaking out about Trump 24/7, with every comment they make. Perhaps your standards are too high.
There are those who spoke out for Trump since he took office too. Both equally annoying.
Very interesting reveal.
Donald Trump has never, for one minute , been fit to hold the office of president of the United States. Just because not everyone reaffirms that fact every day does not make it any less true.
Trump's critics caused him lose this election, not those who took a different perspective.
Yes, as Perrie said. Some of those critics are independents and moderates. A vote doesn't count more based on the vehemence of the voter's views, or the frequency of the expression of those views.
You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. We all have one, after all.
Just because a handful bleat the same nonsense day after day after day, never wavering, doesn't make it true.
Yes, JR, I KNOW Trump lost this election. I can tell that is still unsatisfactory to you. Otherwise you would be happy and not posting the exact same crap as you did before the election. You have a real knack for attacking people opposed to Trump because they aren't as vociferous as you. You have convinced no one, I venture, with the daily rants filled with Trump hate, of anything at all.
Trump has never been fit to hold office. He should have been removed a long long time ago. The willingness of too many good people to go along to get along for almost four years prevented justice from taking place earlier than this recent election.
I am completey confident history will agree with me.
I'm no fan of Trump, but from a constitutional standpoint, he is. That doesn't mean he's competent enough to do the job effectively though.
I'd say it was Trump's poor handling of the pandemic and resulting economic downturn that cost him the election. Had he taken the pandemic seriously, he might have won reelection.
It's no secret.
As I have told you interminable times, I do not hate Trump. He's a complete asshole, and a disgrace to this country, but I dont hate him. I dont hate anyone and if I was going to it would not be someone that I do not personally know.
I just never agreed to accept him . History will prove me, and people like me right, of course.
After Trump was impeached he should have not been permitted to obtain the Republican nomination for a second term. It is to the Republican Party's everlasting shame that they allowed him to be their nominee in 2020.
Trump is not now nor has he ever been fit to hold office. He is a known serial liar, a crook, a bigot, a moron, and a cheat. And more.
What happened to this country that so many people were and are willing to tolerate him in office ?
Your posts and seeds kind of speak for themselves on that. If it isn't pure hatred, then it must be obsession.
History will show Trump was President, and your "acceptance" of well-known and easily-recognizable facts to the rest of the world has precious little to do with it.
Yes, you have expressed your opinions many times.
Well, I'm sure if we'd made just a few more comments on social media, he'd have been removed from office.
Everything that happens is cumulative.
In any case I dont see the particular gratification involved in being able to say " I was even handed about Trump".
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One thing I regret about this forum is having to tolerate your dumb ass comments so often.
Not necessarily "even handed". Just aware that I can say that I, too, can think Trump is unfit for office, and have that opinion be just as understood by others whether I say it once or twice per week as compared to a dozen times per day.
”Yes, you have expressed your opinions many times.“
lol, and as you noted, they are merely an opinion, not fact.
here are some options to help you with your dilemma:
1. Ignore me. There currently exists a way for you to do so, should you choose to take advantage of it. Whining about it and doing nothing about it is counterproductive to me.
2. Flag my comments and have them removed if you see fit to do so.
3. Don't post anything you don't want responses to. These are open forums for members, which I am.
4. Don't read my comments if solutions 1, 2, and 3 won't work for you.
You might consider taking some time to ponder that very question. What did happen to this country? You recognize that people have been merely "tolerating" him. I think that is accurate. So they must have some powerful reasons for voting for him. Maybe instead of just dismissing them as racist, stupid, or evil, you might consider the possibility that millions of people had just cause to be dissatisfied with the status quo.
What perspective is that?
Being the founder of a popular populist movement of over 73,000,000 righteous and patriotic legal American citizens, his influence will continue and grow. Obama has tried this, but without success.
Like Perrie said, get over it....your guy won.
"King Lord and Master" orange conman has spoken, away with you peasants.
election loser
one term president
impreached
lost popular vote twice
But still your President for almost the last 4 years now.
Surely you are not bragging about it, are you?
Is THAT the way you read that?
LOL!
You forgot super spreader
largest single year US civilian death toll of any president in american history.
For a comparison, 9-11 killed about 3000 people. the pandemic killed about 250,000 in this country. That's 83 9-11s.
the twin towers, twice a week ...
I really think all anti-Trump should keep in mind that the Trumpists will be back. Again and again. The President's behavior since election day - supported by almost all Republicans - proves that he will abuse the law if he has the opportunity. The TrumpTrueBelievers will be back in 2022, and every two years from now to forever.
The Republican hold on the Supreme Court is permanent. The Republican hold on the Senate is permanent.
Democracy in America depends on Democrats holding the House and the Presidency. If the Republicans ever... ever... get control of those two institutions... they will never let go.
So... maybe squabbling among anti-Trump people is not a very good idea...
Nice fantasy. Did you dream that up last night while sleeping?
Shows a real clear lack of understanding about SCOTUS and control of same. And I will refer you to elections held every two years for Senate seats. Are you saying that only the GOP can win those seats every election?
Both 9-11 and the virus started outside the USA
It seems to me that the strongest nation in the world should have been better prepared for both.
Exactly how do you prepare for something you don't know exists?
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