Donald Trump on Wednesday refused to give an inch, not to the media at large and especially not to Univision’s Jorge Ramos, whom he had escorted out of a press conference the night before.
“I will tell you, he was totally out of line last night….He stood up and started ranting and raving like a madman,” Trump said Wednesday morning of Ramos on NBC’s “Today Show.”
Ramos and Trump sparred Tuesday night over Trump’s illegal immigration policies after Ramos was ejected for trying to ask a question without being called on. Ramos has said he had been trying to get an interview with Trump to discuss comments he’s made about “anchor babies” and immigrants from Mexico, and Trump had refused. Ramos was eventually allowed back into the conference.
Ramos insisted Wednesday morning on CNN’s “New Day” that, “The one who is out of line is Donald Trump.”
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After building his campaign on a controversial platform and confrontational interactions, Trump is not deviating from his unapologetic tact.
Trump also on Wednesday stood by his sharp criticism of Fox News host Megyn Kelly, who just two nights earlier Trump trampled on Twitter, saying the anchor’s primetime show would be better off without her and retweeting a tweet calling her a “bimbo.”
“I’m personally not a fan. I don’t think she does a good job. I don’t think she’s a very good professional,” Trump said Wednesday morning.
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But while the brashness remains, Trump’s adversaries are turning up the heat. After he looked to mend ties between the real estate mogul and Kelly, the channel’s chief executive Roger Ailes on Tuesday called on Trump to apologize, saying his latest assault on Kelly uncalled for and likening him to a bully.
Trump resisted that label Wednesday on NBC: “I’m not a bully. In fact I think it’s just the opposite way. I’m not a bully.”
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There was indeed something different in Trump’s interaction Tuesday night with Ramos.
Just a month earlier Trump handled a similar interaction with another Hispanic anchor pressing him on his immigration plan very differently.
“That’s a typical case of the press with misinterpretation…you’re with Telemundo and Telemundo should be ashamed,” Trump shouted, pointing and wagging his finger at Telemundo and MSNBC anchor Jose Diaz-Balart, cutting him off as he tried to ask Trump about his comments calling Mexican illegal immigrants “killers” and “rapists.”
As Diaz-Balart tried to jump back in to finish his question, Trump shot him down.
“No, no, you’re finished,” he said.
While Ramos was forcefully ejected from the press room by a Trump security guard, Trump quickly said he wouldn’t mind if Ramos came back in and waited his turn to ask his questions.
And when Ramos got his chance, there was no shouting and no finger-wagging from the GOP frontrunner. Instead, Trump entertained a back and forth with Ramos for nearly five minutes, and even hinted at a possible sit-down interview in the future.
Trump pressed his case, appearing frustrated – but not unruly – as Ramos repeatedly interjected to push his questions further.
As Trump said Wednesday morning, “Most newspaper reports said I handled it very well.”
