Late Monday afternoon to the delight of their minions at outlets like CNN and MSNBC, Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) hosted a press conference that simultaneously warned against taking the President’s bait in focusing on his Sunday tweets criticizing them while also doubling down on their anti-Semitic, far-left agenda.
Not surprisingly, two of the three questions expressed concern on their behalf.
Tlaib had spoken last, so she remained at the podium and chose ABC congressional correspondent Mary Bruce who, as NewsBusters has repeatedly chronicled, has quite the anti-Trump streak.
Echoing the train of thought that CNN’s Wolf Blitzer would moments later with Tlaib after the press conference, Bruce wondered if the President’s insistence that those critical of the country:
The President today said that many people agree with him and they support these comments. I'm wondering if you can speak directly to those supporters of the President and explain why these comments are so harmful and hurtful? And on a personal note, if you can discuss the consequences and impact a bit of these comments? Have you had to up your security? Are you receiving increasing threats?
Ah, yes. Unfortunately for the liberal media, even the President has First Amendment rights, just like Trump supporters have the right to chant “CNN sucks” and, no, it’s not a death threat.
Bruce’s compatriot over at CBS, Nancy Cordes, followed up on a Trump tweet: “Congresswoman Omar in particular, but to all of you, can you respond to some of then President's specific claims, most notably that you're a communist and that you're pro-Al Qaeda?”
To his credit, senior Fox News Capitol Hill producer Chad Pergram asked the Congresswomen about their “controversial” comments that have invited scrutiny.
“Some of you have made comments that the president took issue with that were controversial, do you think that some of those comments made, if they were inflammatory or controversial, that this situation would be different? Because he specifically directed some of those same comments back before,” Pergram wondered.
Ocasio-Cortez then asked him to repeat it back and he obliged, tweaking it slightly:
The President took issue with some of the comments some of you have made on a host of issues and turned them back around. Had those comments not been made, whether they were controversial or not, if you perceive them as controversial, do you think that would have made this situation different. In other words, he wouldn't have the fire power to turn it back around?
To see the questions asked at the July 15 House press conference, click “expand.”
House press conference
July 15, 2019
5:33 p.m. EasternMARY BRUCE: Thank you very much. The President today said that many people agree with him and they support these comments. I'm wondering if you can speak directly to those supporters of the President and explain why these comments are so harmful and hurtful? And on a personal note, if you can discuss the consequences and impact a bit of these comments? Have you had to up your security? Are you receiving increasing threats?
(....)
5:34 p.m. Eastern
NANCY CORDES: Congresswoman Omar in particular, but to all of you, can you respond to some of then President's specific claims, most notably that you're a communist and that you're pro-Al Qaeda?
(....)
5:37 p.m. Eastern
CHAD PERGRAM: Some of you have made comments that the president took issue with that were controversial, do you think that some of those comments made, if they were inflammatory or controversial, that this situation would be different? Because he specifically directed some of those same comments back before.
CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): Can you repeat that?
PERGRAM: The President took issue with some of the comments some of you have made on a host of issues and turned them back around. Had those comments not been made, whether they were controversial or not, if you perceive them as controversial, do you think that would have made this situation different. In other words, he wouldn't have the fire power to turn it back around?
