During a news conference on the revamped US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement, Donald Trump made an attempt to joke about a White House reporter for ABC News, Cecilia Vega, who raised her hand to ask him a question. While it took a few seconds before the mic was passed to her and she finally rose from her seat, Trump suggested that she was “shocked” that he had “picked her.”
READ MORE: US, Mexico, Canada Reach New Trade Deal to Replace NAFTA
She replied by saying, “I’m not. Thank you, Mr. President,” and Trump, having apparently misheard “thank you” as “thinking,” hit back: “I know you’re not thinking. You never do.”
Vega made an attempt to ask him a question about the FBI investigation of sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but Trump said that the presser was about trade.
READ MORE: Kavanaugh Testimony May Haunt Him As Supreme Court Justice
She later alluded to the exchange with POTUS in a tweet:
A White House transcript is now alleging that Donald Trump replied “not thanking,” which, as many social media users have observed, doesn’t make any sense.
While some argued whether Vega was saying “thank you” or “thinking”…
…many lashed out at Trump for insulting the female journalist and being disrespectful towards women on the whole:
Others praised Vega for keeping her cool despite Trump’s jab:
Some, however, defended the president, saying that the press had no respect for him and that the conference was meant to address the trade deal, not Kavanaugh’s case:
On October 1, the United States, Canada and Mexico reached a new trade agreement, dubbed USMCA, thus replacing NAFTA – a cornerstone in the trilateral relations. The new deal is expected to be signed in 60 days.