Journalist Brian Karem on Monday demanded to know if Sarah Huckabee Sanders has ever been sexually assaulted. The male reporter works for Playboy — not exactly a defender of the dignity of women — and lectured the female Sanders on the difficulty of being a woman.
The self-righteous Karem huffed, “As a woman, standing up there talking to us, I know your job is to relay what the President says. Have you ever been sexually harassed and do you understand — I'm not saying by the President, I'm saying ever.”
Karem — who is not a woman — proceeded to tell Sanders how hard it is out there for a woman: “Do you have an empathy for those who come forward? Because it is very difficult for women to come forward.”
Sanders retorted:
Absolutely I would say I have empathy for any individual who has been sexually harassed. And that certainly would be the policy of the White House. I'm not here to speak about my personal experience on that front. But I’m here to relay information on behalf of the President and that's what I'm focused on doing here today.
Later, anchor Brooke Baldwin fawned over what a “great” question this was and swooned over “what it was like to be in the room” as journalists bashed Sanders.
I want to get more on just what it felt like to be in the room for that extraordinarily testy exchange. Brian Karem and April Ryan are both with me, White House reporters in the room. So, Brian to you first. I mean, you asked a great question, specifically to Sarah Sanders. Just as a woman, does she empathize, has she been personally affected by this.
In June, Karem suffered a meltdown at the White House briefing, screaming at Sanders, “Come on! You’re inflaming everybody right here with those words!.. We’re here to ask you questions! You’re here to provide us answers!”
Earlier on Monday, Sanders battled Jim Acosta, telling him, “I’m not taking another question from you.”
A transcript of the Karem question is below:
White House briefing
12/11/17
2:35pm ETBRIAN KAREM: As a woman, standing up there talking to us, I know your job is to relay what the President says. Have you ever been sexually harassed and do you understand — I'm not saying by the President, I'm saying ever. And secondly, do you have an empathy for those who come forward? Because it is very difficult for women to come forward.
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Absolutely I would say I have empathy for any individual who has been sexually harassed. And that certainly would be the policy of the White House. I'm not here to speak about my personal experience on that front. But I’m here to relay information on behalf of the President and that's what I'm focused on doing here today.
...
2:48pm
BROOKE BALDWIN: I want to get more on just what it felt like to be in the room for that extraordinarily testy exchange. Brian Karem and April Ryan are both with me, White House reporters in the room. So, Brian to you first. I mean, you asked a great question, specifically to Sarah Sanders. Just as a woman, does she empathize, has she been personally affected by this.
