President Donald Trump launched a furious attack on an NBC reporter on Wednesday during the same Oval Office session in which he ambushed South Africa’s president over deaths of white farmers.
Trump called veteran journalist Peter Alexander a ‘jerk’ during the heated exchange.
Alexander was among members of the White House press corps who filed into the Oval Office to see Trump’s dramatic attack on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Trump rolled clips showcasing video of a black South African politician singing ‘Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer,’ an anti-apartheid tune that white Afrikaner lobby groups have tried to get banned.
As a subplot, the U.S. president threw several verbal bombs toward Alexander, who started off the Q&A by asking Trump why the U.S. was welcoming white South Africans and not Afghan and Venezuelan refugees.
‘Well, this is a group, NBC, that is truly fake news,’ Trump replied.
Trump then vented his fury on the veteran journalist when he asked about the Qatari plane being given to the pentagon for use as Air Force One.
The question came just after Trump had shown video clips about ‘white genocide’ in South Africa.
‘It’s NBC trying to get off the subject of what you just saw,’ Trump complained.
‘No. 1, you don’t have what it takes to be a reporter, you’re not smart enough. For you to go onto a subject that – a jet that was given to the United States Air Force, which was a very nice thing,’ the president continued. ‘You ought to go back to your studio at NBC.’
He then called on those running the network to be investigated.
‘You are a disgrace, no more questions from you!’ Trump told Alexander.
The insults continued throughout the 63 minutes the press was allowed into the meeting with Ramaphosa.
‘There are all white farmers being buried and he asks about a jet that was given. You oughtta be ashamed of yourself. You are so bad, you’re such a bad reporter,’ Trump chided.
The news had broken earlier Wednesday that the Pentagon had officially accepted the luxury Boeing jet from the Qataris to be turned into a temporary Air Force One.
The deal was first reported ahead of Trump’s trip to the Middle East last week to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
A number of watchdog groups and security experts have raised concerns about how a jet made for Qatar’s royal family could be retrofitted into an Air Force One – which essentially needs to be a flying Situation Room.
‘”So why did they gave us a plane to the United States Air Force?” that’s what that idiot talks about after viewing a thing where thousands of people are dead,’ Trump said.
Ramaphosa used the moment as an opportunity to take the tone down in the room.
‘I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you,’ the South African leader joked.
‘I wish you did,’ Trump answered. ‘If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane I would take it.’