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President Donald Trump's press conference on Thursday in which he announced his new labor secretary turned into an all-out battle royale with the press.
Highlights and lowlights of the 77-minute exchange between Trump and the media included the following:
POTUS saying he "inherited a mess" which statistics and facts will argue otherwise
Trump told a Jewish publication to "sit down" when asked about anti-Semitism.
When April D. Ryan, a black reporter, asked Trump if he would meet with the Congressional Black Caucus, the president replied, "I would. You want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours?"
- Trump also said: “The press has become so dishonest that if we don't talk about it, we are doing a tremendous disservice to the American people, a tremendous disservice. We have to talk about it. We have to find out what's going on because the press, honestly, is out of control. The level of dishonesty is out of control.”
The press conference sparked a media and Twitter frenzy in which reactions ranged from disbelief to anger to amusement:
Trump reminds me of a headliner who has bombed Tue-Thu at a club. Blames the audience & the staff but even he knows he won't be there Sat.
@JimGaffigan
This Trump meltdown is hard to look away from.
@HarryShumJr
Yet another day of a Trump DDOS attack on newsrooms.
@chrislhayes
He reeks of ignorance. Of disrespect. Of disdain. For anyone not like him. Props to @AprilDRyan. Keep questioning. pic.twitter.com/5Th9L0Jgms
@ava
This is all of us. #TrumpPressConference pic.twitter.com/LiyKXPQZ5E
@yourboy87
(Bill Murray voice): THAT is a nutty White House. https://t.co/5nLfoN4WgG
@pattonoswalt
President Trump is winning the trust of the public and the liberal media are losing it! pic.twitter.com/25DcV79ppA
@Nigel_Farage
So if Flynn was just "doing his job" when calling Russia 5x a day during campaign, why did he (& other Trump shills) need to lie about it?
@AndyRichter
Listening to that Trump presser was like eating bad chicken. I want to stay informed, but it's not worth the cramps and night sweats.
@emilynussbaum
Just a reminder if you're watching this press conference, Trump = Republicans. He couldn't do any of this without the support of his party.
@kalpenn
It's a waste of time to try to turn Pinocchio into a real President. The focus needs to be on the Geppettos and legislators around him
@mcuban
"Comparatively speaking, Sean Spicer is actually pretty good at his job," me watching Trump's press conference.
@michaelianblack
This speech MY GOD
@billyeichner
This. Is. our. President. We chose him. Yes, we.
@scottkfoley
Up until an hour ago, the scariest thing I'd ever watched was Psycho. #TrumpPresser
@jk_rowling
Did he just ask #AprilRyan if the Congressional Black Caucus are friends of hers?
@YNB
Because we ALL know each other (& look alike) amirite?
Hi, @realDonaldTrump. We're the CBC. We sent you a letter on January 19, but you never wrote us back. Sad! Letter: https://t.co/58KiuHmITF
@OfficialCBC
Trump keeps asking for "friendly" reporters... The public is demanding accountability and honesty that Trump refuses to offer.
@itsgabrielleu
Trump LIES & when called on those LIES, gets hostile, accuses reporters of being mean, & then dismisses accountability as fake news 😐
@itsgabrielleu
That press conference was a sick, ignorant, idiotic mess of hostility and lies from Trump.
@itsgabrielleu
