UPDATE: The official White House transcript, after some debate, has Trump saying “thinking.” President Donald Trump held a contentious press conference with White House reporters on Monday, scolding them for asking questions about Brett Kavanaugh at his trade announcement. The presser started off with a tense exchange between the president and Cecilia Vega, ABC News’ senior White House correspondent. Trump called on Vega, before joking: “She’s shocked that I picked her. She’s like in a state of shock.” “I’m not. Thank you, Mr. President,” Vega replied. Trump’s reply made headlines, everywhere from the Washington Post to Buzzfeed News to the Daily Beast to Bloomberg: “That’s okay, I know you’re not thinking. You never do.” “I’m sorry?” Vega shot back, with a glare. “No, go ahead,” Trump said with a laugh, and Vega asked her question. It’s hard to tell exactly what Trump said to Vega, given the possible interpretations of their exchange, and how hard it is for Trump to operate his mouth. It’s possible the exchange went as follows, which is a more innocuous interpretation: Trump: “She’s shocked that I picked her. She’s in a state of shock. Vega: “I’m not. Thank you, Mr. President.” Trump: “That’s okay, I know you’re not thanking. You never do.” Vega: “I’m sorry? Trump: “No, go ahead.” Watch above, and see what you think. Here’s another angle: ﻿ Vega did not address the Trump comment, but took to Twitter after the presser to criticize the president for shutting down questions about his Supreme Court nominee. A news conference means you get to ask whatever question you want to ask. #FirstAmendment — Cecilia Vega (@CeciliaVega) October 1, 2018 [image via screengrab] Have a tip we should know? [email protected]<doc-sep>‘‘She’s shocked that I picked her,’’ Trump said. ‘‘She’s, like, in a state of shock.’’ Trump called on Vega at the start of the Rose Garden event on trade and appeared to mock her. NEW YORK — ABC’s Cecilia Vega and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins were targets of a combative President Donald Trump for asking questions about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at the White House on Monday. He appeared to mishear Vega as she answered him, ‘‘I’m not. Thank you, Mr. President.’’ ‘‘That’s OK,’’ he said. ‘‘I know you’re not thinking. You never do.’’ ‘‘I’m sorry?’’ Vega responded. ‘‘Go ahead,’’ Trump said. Advertisement Vega asked him to clarify his feelings about the limits of the FBI investigation into Kavanaugh. Trump stopped her, saying he would talk about the subject later but first wanted to answer questions about trade. Vega pivoted to ask him about the prospects for trade legislation before Congress. Later, Collins attempted to change the subject to ask two questions about the Kavanaugh investigation, and Trump wasn’t having it. ‘‘Don’t do that. That’s not nice,’’ he said, adding that he wanted to answer a question about trade and moving on to another reporter. He came back to Collins, however, and she asked if he would consider it disqualifying if Kavanaugh was found to have been lying to the Senate Judiciary Committee when testifying about a woman’s claim he sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Trump talked about his surprise in how much Kavanaugh had talked about beer and noted that people weren’t asking about Kavanaugh’s behavior over the last 20 years. ‘‘You didn’t answer my question, Mr. President,’’ Collins said when he was done. Trump went on to discuss how he had avoided alcohol. Collins tried again. ‘‘You know what? You’ve really had enough,’’ Trump said. ‘‘You’ve had enough.’’ Advertisement Later, Vega tweeted: ‘‘A news conference means you get to ask whatever question you want to ask. #FirstAmendment.’’ Collins retweeted it with the message, ‘‘Ditto.’’ Neither ABC nor CNN had an immediate comment.<doc-sep>
It's probably no secret to most that President Donald Trump isn't too happy with the press. From saying every outlet (other than a few of his personal favorites) disseminates "fake news" to repeatedly calling the press the "enemy of the people," Trump isn't shy about where he stands with journalists. But yet, somehow, he's still able to shock us all by just how far the depths of his disdain for the media can go. Take, for example, on Monday, when Trump told Cecilia Vega, the senior White House correspondent for ABC News (and winner of multiple Emmys) that she "never" thinks. While giving a press conference in the White House Rose Garden to discuss the new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, Trump, answering questions from reporters, called upon Vega. A brief pause followed as Vega stood up to grab the microphone. At that moment, Trump said with a smile, “She’s shocked that I picked her. Like in a state of shock.” Vega quickly responded, “I’m not, thank you, Mr. President.” It appeared Trump may have misunderstood her, and replied, “That’s OK, I know you’re not thinking, you never do.” Vega, a consummate professional replied, “I’m sorry?” and continued on with her question. Even then, however, Trump continued to be dismissive. Vega asked the President about the ongoing FBI investigation into allegations Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, however, all Trump wanted to do was discuss trade. He later returned to Vega to answer her question. Vega tweeted after the news conference, "A news conference means you get to ask whatever question you want to ask. #FirstAmendment." However, other journalists were quick to jump on social media to defend Vega and note that her line of questioning was entirely in reason.