Donald Trump clashed with a Washington Post reporter after being questioned about Vladimir Putin and his actions in Ukraine.
Tense exchange on Air Force One
On Sunday, Trump took a swipe at Washington Post reporter Michael Birnbaum during a heated exchange on Air Force One.
Birnbaum asked if Putin was disrespecting Trump by attacking Ukraine while Trump was trying to broker peace. Trump initially played coy, asking Birnbaum to clarify his question before asking who he worked for.
“I’m Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post,” the reporter replied.
Trump’s response was sharp.
“You’ve lost a lot of credibility,” he sneered before brushing off the question.
Trump’s handling of Ukraine under fire
Trump has faced mounting criticism for appearing to side with Putin during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year.
He famously called Putin a “genius” when the invasion began and has avoided directly blaming him. Instead, Trump has focused on criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while attempting to negotiate a peace deal that seems to favour Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine. This follows Trump’s decision to halt military aid and intelligence sharing, reportedly to pressure Ukraine into talks, according to ABC News.
Not the first media clash
Birnbaum later shared that Trump eventually answered one of his questions — suggesting The Washington Post might not be on Trump’s blacklist just yet.
Last month, Trump clashed with HuffPost’s S.V. Date on Air Force One, sarcastically remarking that he thought HuffPost had shut down. The outlet was later removed from a media pool covering Trump at the White House.
Trump’s tense relationship with the press doesn’t seem to be easing anytime soon.
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