'Don't ask me. Ask China': Trump clashes with
reporters then abruptly leaves press briefing
President lashes out at Asian American journalist who
queried his constant emphasis on being first in testing
David Smith
in Washington
@smithinamerica
Published
onTue 12 May 2020 01.17 BST
Donald
Trump abruptly halted a press conference on Monday after being challenged by an
Asian American reporter whom he told: “Don’t ask me. Ask China.”
With the
stars and stripes at his back, Trump held his first press briefing since 27
April in the White House rose garden, flanked by testing equipment and swabs
and signs that proclaimed: “America leads the world in testing.”
But during
a question and answer session, Weijia Jiang, White House correspondent of CBS
News, asked why the president constantly emphasises that the US is doing better
than any other country when it comes to testing.
“Why does
that matter?” she queried. “Why is this a global competition to you if every
day Americans are still losing their lives and we are still seeing more cases
every day?”
Trump
retorted: “Well, they are losing their lives everywhere in the world. Maybe
that is a question you should ask China. Don’t ask me. Ask China that question.
When you ask China that question you may get a very unusual answer.”
The
president then called on another reporter, Kaitlan Collins of CNN, but she
paused as Jiang interjected: “Sir, why are you saying that to me,
specifically?”
The
president replied: “I am not saying it specifically to anybody. I am saying it
to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that.”
The CBS
correspondent pointed out: “That is not a nasty question.”
Collins, at
the microphone, then tried to ask her question, but Trump said he was now
looking to someone at the back. As Collins repeatedly objected, the president
turned on his heel and left the podium.
Trump has
frequently been criticised for adopting a particularly harsh or patronising
tone at press conferences to women in general and women of colour in
particular. Jiang was born in China but immigrated to America at the age of two.
Tara
Setmayer, a political commentator, tweeted: “Another disgraceful, racist,
temper tantrum by Trump b/c he was asked a pointed question by @weijia… Trump
can’t handle smart, assertive women.”
Democratic
Congressman Ted Lieu of California tweeted: “Dear @realDonaldTrump: Asian
Americans are Americans. Some of us served on active duty in the U.S. military.
Some are on the frontlines fighting this pandemic as paramedics and health care
workers. Some are reporters like @weijia. Stop dividing our nation.”
Earlier at
the briefing, Trump claimed that the US’s testing capacity is “unmatched and
unrivalled anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close”. More than 9m tests
have now been performed, he said, and where three weeks ago roughly 150,000 per
day were done, the total is now 300,000 per day and will go up.
Trump said
this week the US will pass 10m tests, nearly double the number of any country
and more per capita than South Korea, the UK, France, Japan, Sweden, Finland
and many others. But critics point out that South Korea implemented its testing
much quicker, flattening the curve of cases so fewer tests were required.
The
president announced his administration is sending $11bn to states, territories
and tribes to boost testing. He described it as an effort to “back up” states
but did not unveil the national testing strategy that many experts have called
for.
Trump also
claimed without basis that “if somebody wants to be tested right now, they’ll
be able to be tested”, echoing a spurious claim he made way back on 6 March.
“In every
generation, through every challenge and hardship and danger, America has risen
to the task,” he said. “We have met the moment and we have prevailed.”
Trump, who
has been encouraging states to reopen, promised: “We will defeat this horrible
enemy, we will revive our economy and we will transition into greatness. That’s
a phrase you’re gonna hear a lot.”
Democrats
expressed scepticism. Daniel Wessel, Democratic National Committee deputy war
room director, said: “Trump says we ‘prevailed’ on testing, but his response
has been a complete failure and made this crisis worse than it needed to be.
“Trump
still hasn’t helped states reach the testing capacity they need, every American
who wants a test can’t get a test, and he is only now taking steps that
should’ve happened weeks ago. While Trump wants to declare mission
accomplished, the American people are still suffering and will not forget how
he gave up on them.”
The
campaign group Protect Our Care noted that it was 13 days since Trump said the
US will run 5m daily tests “very soon”. Zac Petkanas, director of its
coronavirus war room, recalled that Trump promised that anyone who wants a test
could get a test and that the US would soon be testing 5m Americans per day.
“This
wasn’t true when he said it and it’s not true today. What is true is that more
than 80,000 Americans have lost their lives in large part because Donald Trump
still hasn’t taken testing seriously. The only thing that the president has
prevailed at is making America first in reported deaths and infections.”
The White
House itself is not immune from coronavirus. Katie Miller, the press secretary
for vice-president Mike Pence, and a personal valet who works for Trump both
tested positive last week. Those entering the West Wing are now required to
wear a mask or face covering, after a new memo was issued on Monday. Trump and
Pence are being tested every day. Trump, however, is exempt from wearing a mask
in the White House. It’s not clear if Pence will wear one or not.
The
president said it is “shocking” how many people come in and out of the White
House every day. “I’ve felt no vulnerability whatsoever,” he said.
During the
press conference, Trump’s presidential election opponent, Joe Biden, tweeted:
“Donald Trump and his team seem to understand how critical testing is to their
own safety. So why are they insisting that it’s unnecessary for the American
people?”
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