A female Washington Post reporter is upset that Donald Trump called her beautiful after an interview with her and other editorial staff.
Karen Attiah, a deputy opinions editor, was able to ask Trump a question during the wide-ranging interview.
“Uh, yeah, I mean speaking again of the system of what a lot of people would say are some of the uglier components of your campaign; a lot of people have said you’ve been running a very divisive campaign as far as racial divides, you’ve noted you know your comments about Muslims, about Mexicans, immigrants and such,” she started, according to a transcript published by the paper.
“You have information that the country is becoming browner, is becoming younger, is becoming blacker. What in your vision of president, in your presidency, how would you bridge these divides and how will you address a– how are you going to run on a message of inclusion of all Americans?”
So. I got hit on today by Donald Trump.
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) March 21, 2016
Trump responded by saying some polls have him doing well with African Americans and Hispanics. Attiah took issue with this, saying: “I think some of the polls are saying you’re doing negatives.”
“We do, if it’s illegals, in other words, if it’s everybody, but people that are legally living here, I’m doing very well. In other words, people that are here, like Hispanics that are in the country, I’m doing very well. People that vote. Like people leaving voting booths and all, I’m doing very well with them. I want to be inclusive, but at the same time, people should come here legally,” Trump said. “And I think the reason I’m doing, that I will do well, especially once I get started, don’t forget I haven’t even focused on Hillary yet. And, and as you know, you know I’ve had polls that are against me, but I’ve had many polls that say I’d beat Hillary, but they’re not that, that, they don’t mean anything now because it’s too early. Because I haven’t hit her. I’ve only hit her once, and that was eight weeks ago, but, I haven’t started on Hillary yet, and when I do I think I’ll be able to make my points.”
Attiah then asked if Trump feels his rhetoric and messages “are dangerous and divisive.”
“I don’t think so. No, I don’t think so. With the Muslim thing I think it’s a serious problem. I’ve had Muslims call and tell me you’re right with the Muslim thing, I think it’s a serious problem. And it’s a problem that has to be addressed. I mean, there’s tremendous hatred,” Trump said.
“Even the, even the guy they caught in Paris. He was being hid out by other Muslims, and everybody is after him, and he’s living right next to where he grew up. There’s a serious, serious problem with the Muslims and it’s got to be addressed. It’s temporary, and it’s got to be addressed. And you know you may think of it as negative. Many people think it’s very positive.”
Apparently there was an exchange after the interview, though, where Attiah thanked Trump for taking her questions.
“(Donald J. Trump) turned to me and said, ‘I really hope I answered your question,’ and added casually with a smile, ‘Beautiful.'”via Washington Post Opinions, Outlook, and PostEverything
Posted by Washington Post on Monday, March 21, 2016
According to her, Trump then turned to her and said, “I really hope I answered your question,” and then added with a smile, “Beautiful.”
Attiah said she was “stunned.
“I stayed in the conference room for a few minutes as it sunk in that the potential GOP nominee for president thought it was okay to comment on my appearance. Did he just say that?” she wrote.
“Perhaps he thought that calling me beautiful would make me ignore the fact that he brazenly lied about his polling numbers among Hispanic voters. Or make me believe that he wasn’t really a racist. Who knows? At least now I know, firsthand, that the sexism that Trump puts on display against Megyn Kelly under the lights of national TV is not that much different from how he is in real life toward female journalists. Sad.”
Attiah said on Twitter that she was “hit on” by Trump.
The Republican presidential candidate hasn’t commented on the alleged interaction.
