Monday during the Coronavirus Task Force briefing, President Trump flipped the script on Jonathan Karl after the ABC News chief White House correspondent questioned the president over an HHS OIG report, which found hospitals across the country reportedly facing shortages of medical equipment.
“If I could follow up on this question of the HHS inspector general, by the way, her name is Christi Grimm, and it wasn’t so much her opinion. They interviewed over 323 different hospitals….,” Karl told the president.
The Commander in Chief asked the ABC reporter, “When was she appointed?”, to which Karl replied, “I’m not sure when she was appointed.”
“Will you do me a favor? Let me know,” President Trump told Karl. “Let me know now, Jon. Because we are doing an incredible job on testing. We are doing a better job than anybody in the world right now on testing. There’s nobody close. And other nations admit this. Other nations have admitted it very strongly. Other nations are calling us wanting to know about our testing. Let me know when she was appointed, would you?”
Later during the briefing, the president asked Karl, “How long has that person been in government?”
“She did serve in the previous administration,” the ABC reporter admitted to the President. Continued Below
“Oh! You didn’t tell me that,” President Trump declared. “You didn’t tell me that, Jon– served in the previous administration, you mean the Obama administration? Thank you for telling me that.”
“See, there’s a typical fake news deal. You’re a third rate reporter,” the president fired off. “And what you just said is a disgrace, okay?”
Trump continued: “You asked me, you said, ‘Sir, just got appointed.’ Take a look at what you said. Now, I said when did they– when did this person, how long in government. Well, it was appointed in the Obama administration. Thank you very much, Jon. Thank you very much. You will never make it,” he told Karl. Videos Below
Fox News’ Kristin Fisher first asked about the HHS OIG report:
A reporter asks President Trump about an HHS inspector general report on testing shortages:
Trump: "Where did it come from, the inspector general? What’s his name?"
Reporter: "I don’t know his name."
Trump: "Find his name, let me know." pic.twitter.com/MnQsbGX1jM
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 6, 2020
President Trump asked Jon Karl to find out when the HHS IG was appointed:
President Trump Grills Jonathan Karl over the HHS Inspector Generalpic.twitter.com/2MzpEcz6qS
— Nick Shredder (@Nick_Shredder) April 7, 2020
President Trump flips the script on Jon Karl:
President Trump spars with @jonkarl over an HHS IG report on medical supply shortage:
"You are a third rate reporter and what you just said is a disgrace… you will never make it."
The Admiral reiterates that the administration has been able to meet state ventilator requests. pic.twitter.com/eHOGrgbhfz
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 6, 2020
