WASHINGTON — Any hope Sean Spicer had of going through Tuesday without incident
.
April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks was asking the White House press secretary a question about Russia when it became clear that Spicer was upset over the topic being discussed.
"If the president puts Russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that's a Russian connection," Spicer said tersely, then later demanded that Ryan stop shaking her head.
Spicer to @AprilDRyan: “If the president puts Russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that’s a Russian connection” —via @MSNBC pic.twitter.com/O0OC3bUJiG
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) March 28, 2017
People quickly called out Spicer’s treatment of Ryan:
Sean Spicer to April Ryan "Stop shaking your head again" - I'm sorry, what?
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 28, 2017
Sean Spicer is rude to everyone, but it's difficult to imagine him speaking to a white, male reporter the way he spoke to April Ryan today.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) March 28, 2017
Ryan responded later on Twitter:
Lawd!!!!
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) March 28, 2017
This is not the first time the administration responded to Ryan in a way that sparked controversy.
In February, Ryan asked President Donald Trump if he would consult the Congressional Black Caucus before signing legislation that would affect historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Trump responded by asking her if she was friends with the members of the caucus and if she was willing to set up a meeting.
As it turned out, the CBC had already reached out to Trump nearly a month before:
Hi, @realDonaldTrump. We’re the CBC. We sent you a letter on January 19, but you never wrote us back. Sad! Letter: https://t.co/58KiuHmITF
— The Black Caucus (@TheBlackCaucus) February 16, 2017
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