After Fox News reporter John Roberts repeatedly accused the Trump administration of refusing to definitively denounce white supremacy during Thursday’s White House press briefing, he took to Fox airwaves to further complain about the White House.
“People on Twitter who were hammering me for asking that question, I don’t care!” an angry Roberts said on Fox News. “It’s a question that needs to be asked. … Stop deflecting, stop blaming the media. I’m tired of it.”
Roberts’ beef was seemingly with White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who told the reporter Thursday that Trump has routinely denounced white supremacy, rattling off a number of quotes from the president doing just that. According to Roberts, however, the response was not “definitive and declarative” enough for his taste.
So, McEnany, ever the helpful press secretary, tried to clear things up for Roberts via Twitter, directing the Fox News reporter to his wife ABC News correspondent Kyra Phillips’ own reporting, which included Trump unequivocally denouncing white supremacy on Wednesday, one day earlier.
“[John Roberts] I would refer you to your wife’s reporting from 21 hours ago… accurate reporting I cited in the White House Press Briefing,” posted the press secretary, quote-tweeting Phillips’ reporting.
.@johnrobertsFox I would refer you to your wife’s reporting from 21 hours ago… accurate reporting I cited in the White House Press Briefing. https://t.co/dV3Hzp1UaI
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 1, 2020
“Just now: [Donald Trump] tells me he DENOUNCES white supremacists,” Phillips reported Wednesday, tagging ABC News and, notably, her husband.
Just now: @realDonaldTrump tells me he DENOUNCES white supremacists @ABCPolitics @ABCNewsLive @ABCWorldNews @ABC @johnrobertsFox pic.twitter.com/8AxB6I2RjJ
— Kyra Phillips (@KyraPhillips) September 30, 2020
As noted by McEnany on Thursday, Trump also denounced white supremacy during Tuesday night’s debate, despite the mainstream media’s insistence. Here’s the transcript:
[Debate moderator Chris] Wallace: “You have repeatedly criticized the Vice President for not specifically calling out Antifa and other left-wing extremist groups. But are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacist and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities. As we’ve seen in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland.”
Trump: “Sure I’m willing to do that.”
[Democratic nominee Joe] Biden: “Then do it.”
Wallace: “Go ahead, sir.”
Trump: “I would say, I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing not from the right.”
Wallace: “So what are you saying?”
Trump: “I’m willing to do anything — I want to see peace.”
Wallace: “Then do it, sir.”
Biden: “Say it. Do it. Say it.”
Trump: “Do you want to call them — what do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name. Go ahead, who would you like me to condemn?”
Wallace: “White supremacists and right wing militias.”
Biden: “Proud boys.”
Trump: “Proud boys, stand back and stand by…”
Moreover, as noted by The Daily Wire, the Trump administration in April took a historic step to designate a white supremacist group known as the Russian Imperial Movement, or RIM, as a global terrorist organization and sanctioned three of its leaders, ABC News reported.
And last week, Trump announced the designation of the KKK as a terrorist organization, lynching as a national hate crime, and pledged $500 billion to black communities.
“For decades, Democrat politicians like Joe Biden have taken black voters for granted. They made you big promises before every election—and then the moment they got to Washington, they abandoned you and sold you out,” said Trump. “The Democrats will always take black voters for granted until large numbers of black Americans vote Republican.”