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Trump says media treats him 'worse than Lincoln', defends 'bullying' reporters at Covid-19 press conferences

The president's remarks came in response to a question submitted by Carolyn Perkins, a retired nurse who urged him to avoid the use of 'descriptive words that can be classified as bullying'
UPDATED MAY 4, 2020
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

President Donald Trump sat with journalists Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum at the footsteps of the historical Lincoln Memorial on May 3, as part of Fox News' virtual town hall. The neoclassical temple has been the site of civil rights marches, a number of inauguration celebrations, and even a memorable scene from 'Mr Smith Goes to Washington'.

“We never had a more beautiful set than this," Trump noted in sitting down for the highly-anticipated event, Fox News reports.

The president was asked a series of questions regarding the status quo and how the United States was battling the novel coronavirus, something the US leader has branded "the invisible enemy".

US President Donald Trump meets with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (L) in the Oval Office of the White House on April 30, 2020, in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

At some point, Trump was also asked about the growing list of contentious exchanges he was having with reporters at the White House coronavirus press briefings, and if he should maybe tone it down while dealing with the supposed "hostile" questions.

"If I was kind to them, I'd be walked off the stage," he responded to the moderators. "I am greeted with a hostile press the likes of which no president has ever seen."

"The closest will be that gentleman up there," Trump continued, pointing at the statue of Abraham Lincoln. "They say nobody got treated worse than Lincoln... I believe I am treated worse. You see those press conferences. They come at me with questions that are disgraceful... their manner of presentation and their words. I feel if I was kind to them, I would be walked off the stage."

The president's remarks came in response to a question submitted by Carolyn Perkins, a retired nurse who urged him to avoid the use of "descriptive words that can be classified as bullying," and instead hold on to the "wonderful attributes that make you our great leader."

Trump is known to give as good as he gets and is often seen sparring with journalists during the daily Covid-19 briefings that commenced shortly after the virus started to spread. The question-and-answer sessions quite vividly portray the media's frayed relationship with the commander-in-chief.

"They come at you with the most horrible horrendous biased questions," Trump said. "You see it. 94 to 95 percent of the press is hostile, and yet... we have tremendous support... but the media might as well be in the Democrat party."

"I appreciate the question, and I very much appreciate the sentiment behind the question — but I'm standing up there and instead of asking me a normal question, the level of anger and hatred..." he noted, before trailing off.

President Donald Trump speaks as National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, Vice President Mike Pence, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield listen during a news conference at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House February 29, 2020, in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

Trump also voiced frustrations on how he has been met with a "very hostile press" despite accomplishing "more than any other president in history".

"I look at them and say, what is your problem? I think we have done more than any other president in the history of our country," he said.

"We rebuilt our military. We had the biggest tax cut in history... yet we have a very hostile press," Trump added. "Nobody has seen anything like this."

During the town hall, Trump also took swipes at the Left, saying the Democrats were wishing that treatments wouldn't work because it would help him politically otherwise.

“I think Democrats, the radical Left, would rather have people, I’m not going to say die, not get better because they think I’m going to get credit if hydroxychloroquine works,” he said.

The president then went on to highlight how a flotilla of boats in Florida paraded around a waterway on May 3 to show their support for him.

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