Mediaite reports President Donald Trump relied on a right-wing reporter to deflect a CNN journalist’s interrogation of his plan to imprison protesters.
Protesters interrupted Trump’s photo op at Joe’s Seafood in Washington, D.C., to promote his troop deployment earlier this month. Days later, Trump spoke about being confronted by the protesters in an Oval Office press gaggle. While flanked by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and others, Trump suggested he may prosecute protesters under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
On Thursday, Mediaite reports New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman cornered Trump on Air Force One and began grilling him on his plan to prosecute Americans over their freedom to protest.
"Do you actually think that that is an offense that deserves jail time?” Haberman asked, to which Trump responded with a ramble questioning how the group got into the restaurant before describing the group’s marching and chanting “free Palestine” as “a threat.”
“But do you think they deserve jail time?” Haberman repeated.
Trump turned abruptly to conservative reporter Brian Glenn, of Real America's Voice, and asked, “Do you agree with me?”
“I think they’re a nasty organization,” said Glenn, who is known for deriding the clothes of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a time when Zelenskyy was at the White House fighting for U.S. support against a Russian invasion.
“But do you think they deserve jail?” Haberman pressed.
Trump ignored Haberman, however, preferring to hear Glenn expand his critique.
Only Glenn had none to expand. “Well, I dunno,” Glenn said before changing the subject: “What are your top priorities with Congress?”
Trump’s administration has made a point to include Republican networks and MAGA influencers among the press crew to reset the tone of inquiries.