If that’s the kind of response she gets, Sarah Sanders may want to consider doing this at every press conference.
A lengthy battle between the White House Press Secretary and CNN reporter Jim Acosta ended with the latter walking out of the room early because Sanders refused to denounce the President’s statement that the media is the “enemy of the people.”
“It would be a good thing if you were to state right here at this briefing that the press, the people who are gathered in this room right now, doing their jobs every day, asking questions of officials like the ones you brought forward earlier are not the enemy of the people,” Acosta challenged. “I think we deserve that.”
Sanders, as per usual, had no interest in playing these games, reminding Acosta that the media had attacked her personally on a number of occasions.
“It’s ironic, Jim, that not only you and the media attack the president for his rhetoric when they frequently lowered the level of conversation in this country,” she fired back.
“Repeatedly, repeatedly the media restarts personal attacks without any content other to incite anger,” Sanders added. “The media has attacked me repeatedly, said I should be harassed as a life sentence.”
Jennifer Rubin, a fake ‘conservative’ blogger with the Washington Post, and frequent guest on MSNBC stated that Sanders and her family deserved to be harassed at a restaurant, “should be made uncomfortable,” and that such punishment should be “a life sentence.”
Don’t recall Jim and his CNN colleagues denouncing Rubin.
In briefing room @Acosta asks @PressSec to declare that the press is not the enemy of the people. She replies “the media has attacked me personally,” including @CNN.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) August 2, 2018
Sanders continued to obliterate Acosta and the other media members in the room.
“When I was hosted by the Correspondent’s Association you brought up a comedian to attack me,” she pushed back. “As far as I know I’m the first press secretary in the history of the United States that’s required Secret Service protection.”
Acosta dismissed her assertions as “we all get put through the meat grinder in this town,” and instead repeated his request for the denouncement of comments that the media is the enemy.
“You did not say in the course of those remarks that you just made that the press is not the enemy of the people,” he observed.
“I appreciate your passion,” Sanders replied. “I share it. I’ve addressed this question. I’ve addressed my personal feelings. I’m here to speak on behalf of the president. He’s made his statements clear.”
The battle grew so intense that Acosta apparently walked out of the room in dismay.
I walked out of the end of that briefing because I am totally saddened by what just happened. Sarah Sanders was repeatedly given a chance to say the press is not the enemy and she wouldn’t do it. Shameful.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 2, 2018
Acosta went on CNN shortly thereafter to whine even further about the incident and explain why he stormed out.
“Because I’m tired of this,” he whimpered. “Honestly … I’m tired of this. It is not right. It is not fair. It is not just. It is un-American to come out here and call the press the enemy of the people.”
“Ivanka Trump knows that,” he added. “I don’t know why her father doesn’t, and I don’t know why this press secretary doesn’t.”
The real question is – Why doesn’t CNN understand exactly what has caused the American people to look at them as the enemy? Perhaps a little inner reflection is in order.