When one thinks of liberal reporters who relish showing off at White House press briefings, three individuals who come to mind are CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta and CNN political analysts Brian Karem and April Ryan.
All three showed up at Monday’s installment to question White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders about possible racist overtones in a Trump tweet that used the word “breeding” in regards to California’s sanctuary cities.
For the sake of American democracy, it didn’t die in darkness as the petulant Acosta was the third reporter called on.
He then used his chance to insinuate that the President was racist for mentioning “breeding” in the tweet to bemoan any cohabitation and having children among Hispanic illegal immigrants:
And can I just ask you about a tweet that the president put out last week? He tweeted a lot over the weekend, but last week he said he talking about sanctuary cities in California and saying: “There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept.” We haven’t had a chance to ask you about that tweet. When he used the word “breeding,” was he making a derogatory term about Latinos in California that they breed a lot or that they’re prone to breeding?
Sanders cut him off, telling him that wasn’t the case and “he's talking about the problem itself growing and getting bigger.” Acosta wanted to follow-up, but Sanders had enough and moved onto Bloomberg’s Justin Sink, telling Acosta that she’s already given him an answer.
Just over 15 minutes later, Ryan resurrected this question:
And I’d like to follow up on Jim when you said breeding — the President was very clear in his statement about this issue, he said in a tweet: “There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept.” What did he mean by breeding?
Once again, Sanders emphasized that the President views sanctuary cities as “a major problem,” but Ryan kept playing the race card: “But what does that mean? What does breeding to this President? Because when you think of breeding, you think of animals, breeding, populating.”
Sanders cut Ryan off and hit back (as she’s been prone to do):
SANDERS: I'm not going to begin to think what you think.
RYAN: Can you tell us what the President thought?
SANDERS: Certainly, I think that it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but the President is talking about a growing problem and I addressed that with Jim. I don't have anything else to add.
ACOSTA: You’re talking about people having kids, though, right?
Not to be left out, Karem wanted to end the briefing by being a part of the action, asking for clarification from Sanders to “define what the President meant about breeding” and make sure that “he's not talking about people having babies.”
“Not that I'm aware of I'd have to ask him to dig into that deeper. I just said not that I'm aware of, and I would have to ask him to be more specific,” Sanders stated before Karem moved onto the Mueller investigation. Acosta, Ryan, and other reporters could be heard shouting, but Sanders ignored them.
To see the relevant transcript from April 23's White House press briefing, click “expand.”
White House press briefing
April 23, 2018
1:43 p.m. Eastern
JIM ACOSTA: And can I just ask you about a tweet that the president put out last week? He tweeted a lot over the weekend, but last week he said he talking about sanctuary cities in California and saying: “There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept.” We haven’t had a chance to ask you about that tweet. When he used the word “breeding,” was he making a derogatory term about Latinos in California that they breed a lot or that they’re prone to breeding? Was he talking about —
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: No, he's talking about the problem itself growing and getting bigger.
ACOSTA: What does that mean?
SANDERS: Sorry. I’ve answered a couple. Justin? Go ahead.
(....)
2:00 p.m. Eastern
APRIL RYAN: And I’d like to follow up on Jim when you said breeding — the President was very clear in his statement about this issue, he said in a tweet: “There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept.” What did he mean by breeding?
SANDERS: Again, the President has recognized this is a major problem and a lot of people even in California want to see the issue of sanctuary cities addressed and the President is doing what he can.
RYAN: But what does that mean? What does breeding to this President? Because when you think of breeding, you think of animals, breeding, populating. You have —
SANDERS: I'm not going to begin to think what you think.
RYAN: Can you tell us what the President thought?
SANDERS: Certainly, I think that it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but the President is talking about a growing problem and I addressed that with Jim. I don't have anything else to add.
ACOSTA: You’re talking about people having kids, though, right?
(....)
2:02 p.m. Eastern
BRIAN KAREM: Thank you very much. Two quick questions. One, just to define what the President meant about breeding. To be specific, he's not talking about people having babies, yes?
SANDERS: Not that I'm aware of —
KAREM: Yeah.
SANDERS: I'd have to ask him to dig into that deeper.
[RYAN INAUDIBLE SHOUTING]
KAREM: How do you —
SANDERS: I just said not that I'm aware of, and I would have to ask him to be more specific.
KAREM: Okay and in regards to the Mueller investigation —
[ACOSTA, RYAN INAUDIBLE SHOUTING]
SANDERS: Guys, I'm sorry I’m trying to — Brian?
