US President Donald Trump clashed with female CNN reporter after she asked about his relationship with his 35-year-old aide Natalie Harp.
The President’s relationship with Harp has come under renewed scrutiny after Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff mocked the pair at a rally in Georgia on Saturday.
CNN’s Kristen Holmes asked Trump for his response to Ossoff’s claim that he would rather ‘build his ballroom and travel with Natalie’ than do the job of the President.
Trump called Ossoff a ‘Pee-wee Herman lookalike’ and said that ‘we’re fixing a White House that hasn’t been taken care of.’
Harp has been one of Trump’s closest aides for years and is dubbed the ‘human printer’ as she carries bundles of news articles around for him to read.
Holmes attempted to follow up with a question about South Korea before Trump had finished speaking, sending him into a tailspin.’Quiet. Quiet. Quiet!’ Trump shouted at Holmes.
‘You’re very disrespectful in front of this young man,’ Trump yelled, gesturing to ten-year-old Nathaniel Rai, who was being recognized at the White House after he was rescued from rough surf in California last month.
‘Okay, don’t you find her disrespectful?’ Trump said to the boy. ‘He understands. Quiet.’
‘You’re a loud, boisterous person. You’re fake news,’ Trump added as he repeatedly told Holmes ‘be quiet’ while she battled to get her question across.
Outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared furious and mouthed something to a colleague after Holmes asked her question.
The official White House social media account and its proxies rounded on Holmes afterwards.
‘Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question,’ said the official Rapid Response 47 account.
‘They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive. It’s quite troubling.’
The White House branded Holmes ‘a disgraceful, humiliating embarrassment to her alleged profession.’
Holmes is a Senior White House Correspondent at CNN where she has worked for more than 14 years.
