White House counselor Kellyanne Conway turned to her earlier position that the use of the racist term “Kung flu” is “highly offensive”, defending the use of President Donald Trump on Wednesday while bizarrely attacking an Asian journalist- American for not having “Courage” to a White House official who said the phrase months ago.
During a White House driveway fight with reporters on Wednesday morning, Conway was immediately confronted by NBC News reporter Monica Alba over the president’s recent habit of throwing out the sentence and Conway’s complaint in March. about the term, which Trump’s adviser called “incorrect” while pointing out that she is “married to an Asian.”
Meanwhile, Conway returned the question to the press corps, apparently blaming CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang, who reported in March that a White House official referred to the new coronavirus as the “Kung flu” on his face.
“I also asked Weijia to reveal to us who said it, I think that would have come a long way,” Conway told Alba before saying that the journalist should confront Jiang.
Alba, however, went ahead and asked Conway if he would react to Trump’s repeated use of the term loaded, prompting the presidential aide to claim that Trump was simply making it “very clear” that the virus originated in China. Conway then pressured Jiang to reveal her source.
“I still invite you to tell us who said that,” Conway taunted the journalist. “And I think that would be a very important revelation for us. That is not a source to protect. He’s someone who shouldn’t have said that, and you say he did, and we still don’t know who he was. “
While Conway accused her of “changing the subject,” Jiang said Conway at the time said the phrase was “hurtful,” and asked the Trump official if he would say that to the president now.
“I speak to the president daily on many different topics,” Conway replied, prompting Jiang to ask again if he would tell Trump that his use of the “Kung flu” is offensive.
“We don’t always agree on everything, and that’s why I work here,” replied the veteran pollster before moving on to another topic.
Moments later, however, Conway returned to the issue, defending the president by saying “it is incredibly important” for Trump “not to let China escape responsibility here.” Jiang wondered aloud if Conway could explain the “logic” on how Kung Flu does that, since it doesn’t refer to a particular location.
“How do you know, excuse me, how do you know the way that people, how do you know that people are not anticipating that or connecting that?” Conway exclaimed, raising her voice. “You do not know! Excuse me, while the president says it, he also says that this virus came from China. China is responsible!
Interestingly, Conway declined to use the phrase, instead of saying that Trump “said many different things are called,” such as “the Wuhan virus, the Chinese virus, and then used another term.”
As Jiang continued to press her on Trump’s embrace of the racist term, Conway finally blamed the shoulders of the CBS reporter directly.
You should have showed up a hundred days ago when you had the chance. You lost your chance, you lacked the courage to tell everyone who told you that, ”Conway angered. “You like to fuel this rather than solve it. I am here to solve things, not to fuel them. You did the opposite on this issue. “
Conway’s turmoil on this issue comes immediately after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany struggled to fend off questions about the president using the term racist. Earlier this week, McEnany insisted that the President was only trying to pinpoint where the virus came from while blaming the media for “trying to play with the terminology.”
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