Sarah Huckabee Sanders Doubles Down on Trump’s Virulent and Dangerous Anti-Press Rhetoric

Another day, another step towards autocracy. Things got heated in the White House press room today, where CNN’s Jim Acosta put press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on the spot, asking her if she agreed with Donald Trump that the press were the “enemy of the people.” This was in response to the Trumps administration’s repeated attacks on the press and the president himself calling journalists the enemy at his rally.

Acosta pressed Sanders on the issue, bringing up Ivanka Trump’s rebuke of her father’s war on the press. This comes just two days after Acosta was heckled and harassed by Trump supporters at a rally in Tampa. These rallies have become increasingly dangerous for journalists thanks to Trump’s hostility towards the fourth estate.

In the video below, you can see Acosta repeatedly asking Sanders to say that the press (you know, the roomful of people she’s talking to every day) was not the enemy. Sanders refused, choosing instead to complain about “unfair” coverage and Michelle Wolf’s White House Correspondents Dinner speech.

“For the sake of this room, the people who are in this room, this democracy, this country, all the people around the world are watching what you’re saying, Sarah,” Acosta said. “The president of the United States should not refer to us as the enemy of the people.”

Sanders said in response, “I appreciate your passion. I share it. I’ve addressed this question. I’ve addressed my personal feelings. I’m here to speak on behalf of the president. He’s made his comments clear.”

Acosta left the press room, and later tweeted the following:

Frankly, Acosta should have been followed out by the rest of the White House press corps. We all know these people in power are lying to us, yet day after day the WHPC show up to report on their bold-faced lies. It would be a historic and courageous move for the entire press corps to walk away from Sanders and cease reporting on her. That day might be coming sooner than we think.

(via Huffington Post, image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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