OAN correspondent goes 'full Q in the briefing room' — tells Trump the media has 'teamed up' with foreign state propaganda
The White House press briefing room this week implemented a temporary seating chart to accommodate the Center for Disease Control and Preventions’s social distancing guidelines, but Donald Trump's staff still managed to carve out space for One America News Network, the far-right network known for it’s pro-Trump content. And on Thursday, that network's correspondent, Chanel Rion used her hard-hitting journalistic chops to ask the president whether he considers the term "Chinese food" racist, and rant against the "left-wing media” that "consistently [sides] with foreign state propaganda" just to oppose Trump.
No summary can do Rion’s question justice, so here she is in her own words:
“Do you consider the term ‘Chinese food’ racist, because it’s food that originated from China? And on that note, major left-wing media — even in this room — have teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives, and they are claiming you are racist.”“Is it alarming that major media players, just to oppose you, are consistently siding with foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals and Latin gangs and cartels? And they work right here out of the White House with you and your team!”
Trump takes question from far-right OAN personality who asks if term "Chinese food" is racist, mocking those who ta… https://t.co/F0v2FNJnwy— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1584636776
Trump, of course, used that remarkable setup to complain about the “dishonest” media (blah blah blah, we’ve heard this tune before). As he finished, Rion replied, “More than ‘dishonest!’ They’re siding with state propaganda!”
Members of the press were largely unimpressed with Rion’s superb contribution to journalistic inquiry. Below is a sample of tweets:
To put a finer point on it the woman from OAN teed up that rant by comparing this to Chinese food. Until today I t… https://t.co/dTHnArg1V4— Elise Labott (@Elise Labott) 1584637114
OAN is not a news organization. They're a media arm of the Trump administration and the Trump campaign. Not complicated.— Isaac Saul (@Isaac Saul) 1584636977
The OAN personality who asked this question is the same OAN personality who traveled with @RudyGiuliani to Europe a… https://t.co/qtX7ok2lHW— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1584636876
We're in a pandemic and Trump is bashing the “corrupt” and "fake" news after a sympathetic OAN reporter asserts tha… https://t.co/JYHWe7nEoE— Michael Calderone (@Michael Calderone) 1584636620
@timishiding OAN is not legitimate news. It's a Trump administration PR arm.— Jeanna Kelley (@Jeanna Kelley) 1584636575
Trump and OAN turning this Covid-19 press conference into a PSA against journalism is nauseating.— Hal Rudnick (@Hal Rudnick) 1584636489
"OAN. Thank you, you treat me very nicely," says Trump as she alleges U.S. reporters are "teaming up" with the Chin… https://t.co/WCJ2frYmu7— Jay Willis (@Jay Willis) 1584636436
OAN lady could ask him about the moon landing and he'd start with "many people are saying it didn't happen"— superchunk (@superchunk) 1584636369
A "reporter" from OAN at this Trump presser is asking a question using rightwing talking points, and you can litera… https://t.co/ozoEYq29sw— charlotteclymer@mastodon.social (@charlotteclymer@mastodon.social) 1584636356
this OAN woman is an Uncle Tom— David Dennis Jr. (@David Dennis Jr.) 1584636270
OAN's questions during the presser are embarrassing even by conservative standards— johnknefel (@johnknefel) 1584636270
But it wasn’t all bad. At least Ann Coulter liked her:
LOVE the question from the cute OAN gal!— Ann Coulter (@Ann Coulter) 1584636228
