Kellyanne Conway called a reporter a “smartass,” and when did this become normal?
The past two years under President Donald Trump have been marked by “alternative facts” and outright lies, but the current administration refuses to be held accountable. At a January 8th press conference, CNN reporter Jim Acosta questioned White House counselor Kellyanne Conway about Trump’s honesty, and she responded by calling him a “smartass.” Specifically, Acosta asked if the president would tell the truth during his televised address about the border wall.
“Yes, Jim, and do you promise that you will?” she replied. “The whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God? Am I allowed to mention God to you?” Acosta retorted that he wasn’t the one with “the alternative facts problem,” at which point Conway retaliated by calling his comment “cheap,” and saying,
"And let me get back in your face because you’re such a smartass most of the time and I know you want this to go viral," she said. "A lot of these people [motioning towards the other reporters] don't like you."
After Jim Acosta asks Kellyanne Conway “can you promise the president will tell the truth tonight?” she calls him a "smartass" and starts insulting him.
1. So unprofessional.
2. It's a legitimate question considering it's Trump.
3. She bit back because she had no good answer. pic.twitter.com/JjxkRyrF8x— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) January 8, 2019
"I was on your network 25 or 26 times in 2018," she continued. "I'm one of the last people here who even bother to go on, and the disrespect that you show to me personally, I'll just look past."
Despite what Conway’s vitriolic response would suggest, Acosta had good reason to ask if Trump would tell the truth. According to The Washington Post, Trump lied or made misleading comments 6,420 times in the first 649 days of his presidential term. And, as The New York Times pointed out, Trump’s January 8th address on the border wall contained a number of misleading and inaccurate statements.
The Trump administration has little regard for factual accuracy, so it’s crucial that reporters like Acosta continue to demand the truth. Basically, we’re throwing all our support behind the “smartasses” of the world today.
