April Ryan had time to check Sarah Sanders on Trump’s ignorance about NFL protests
Urban Radio Network’s April Ryan verbally sparred with White House press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders when she pressed for clarity on why President Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House.
Ryan questioned the President’s reasoning that NFL players were kneeling because they objected to the flag and what it stood for. So the venerable White House correspondent pushed Sanders to address the hot topic when it appeared that Sanders was hellbent on not calling on her. That’s when the Q&A session took a turn for the worst and the two got into a heated exchange that not only ruffled the feathers of Sanders but some of the other reporters in the room.
—WNBA champs commit to DC charity work after Trump doesn’t extend invitation—
“The Eagles made the commitment to come and to be part of that event well after the president had established his feelings in regards to the National Anthem,” Sanders said.
Sanders said Trump doesn’t see kneeling for the anthem as a first amendment issue, even though players have said they kneel to protest police brutality of African Americans.
WOW — April Ryan confronts Sanders about the White House’s indifference about police violence.
SANDERS: “I let you rudely interrupt me…I would be happy to answer if you would stop talking long enough to let me do that.”
Sanders then cites polling indicating ppl agree w/Trump pic.twitter.com/21zlluJ5IM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 5, 2018
“There are black and brown soldiers that fight in the military as well who feel that taking a knee, bringing an attention to police-involved shootings, is something that this White House should deal with,” Ryan said.
“Is the President aware that taking the knee is about police-involved shootings?”
Sanders started to answer the question, but it seemingly wasn’t addressing Ryan’s question so she interrupted, which annoyed Sanders.
“I let you rudely interrupt me and your colleague,” Sanders said. “I’m going to ask that you allow me to finish my answer. I would be happy to answer it if you would stop talking long enough to let me do that.”
Ryan said on CNN later that Sanders didn’t have intentions to call on her that day and that’s why she took up the issue and forced her to address it.
“The issue of the Black community and police has been going on since slavery,” Ryan said. “Everybody was dancing around it and not getting the issue.”
