President Trump answered several, wide ranging questions Friday morning for the White House press pool before hopping on a plane to Paris. One of those questions during the gaggle, however, he thought was "stupid." It came from his favorite network, CNN.
QUESTION (from @abbydphillip): Do you want acting AG Matt Whitaker to rein in Mueller?
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 9, 2018
TRUMP: "What a stupid question."
President Trump: "What a stupid question that is." pic.twitter.com/W0xR292vfC
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 9, 2018
Whitaker is the acting attorney general after Jeff Sessions announced his exit earlier this week. Some people have suggested that Trump, no fan of Robert Mueller's "witch hunt" Russia investigation, is going to direct the new man in charge of the probe to end it.
Trump didn't like the question, but reporters from competing networks defended Phillip's inquiry.
It was NOT a stupid question.
— Kevin Corke (@kevincorke) November 9, 2018
Trump added another observation for Phillip, "I watch you a lot, you ask a lot of stupid questions."
Trump also had some (more) choice words for two other CNN personalities. The president sparred with both Jim Acosta and April Ryan at his post-election press conference Wednesday afternoon in the East Room of the White House.
"I watch her get up, I mean you talk about somebody that's a loser. She doesn't know what the hell she's doing. She gets publicity and then she gets a pay raise or she gets a contract with I think CNN, but she's very nasty. And she shouldn't be."
The two colleagues defended each other.
.@AprilDRyan is on CNN right now defending her many credentials as a White House correspondent. She has covered Republicans and Democrats and has had good working relationships with presidents of both parties. She is not a “loser.”
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) November 9, 2018
Not to be forgotten, of course, was Jim Acosta. One reporter asked Trump for his current feelings about the CNN journalist, especially after Wednesday's nasty exchange with him in the East Room of the White House. The men argued over the migrant caravan, which ended in Trump calling Acosta a "terrible person."
TRUMP says of JIM ACOSTA, "I don't think he's a smart person," smears APRIL RYAN as "a loser" and "nasty."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 9, 2018
"You've got to treat the White House and the office of the presidency with respect." pic.twitter.com/DwXz8JhKa3
Acosta had his press pass revoked after that presser for refusing to hand over the White House microphone and pushing away the arm of the White House aide who tried to take it from him. There's been some discrepancy over how aggressive the action really was.
The president suggested more credentials could be revoked in the coming days.