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The Video of Donald Trump Badgering a Black Reporter Needs to Be Watched

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference announcing Alexander Acosta as the new Labor Secretary nominee in the East Room at the White House on February 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. The announcement comes a day after Andrew Puzder withdrew his nomination. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Donald Trump said an almost infinite number of terrifying and wrong things during a press conference today that may go down as the most unhinged scene in an administration that long ago parted with its bearings, but there was one particular moment that stuck out above all the others, and which needs to be watched.

During the presser, Trump took a question from April Ryan, a longtime journalist who is currently the White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks. Ryan asked the following question: “Are you going to include the CBC [Congressional Black Caucus], Mr. President, in your conversations with your urban agenda, your inner city agenda, as well as—.” She was then cut off by the president, who “answered” the question by throwing it back in Ryan’s face, badgering her to set up the meeting with the CBC, as if that makes any sense at all, whatsoever.

Though you may have read about the exchange or seen a transcript, it’s worth watching in full:

If you needed to encapsulate Trump-as-politician in under 30 seconds, you could do worse than this: the short-tempered devolution into schoolyard bullying, the blinding hubris used to cover up a lack of basic knowledge about his job, the casually cruel racism. Though Trump is liable to treat anyone he perceives as an enemy this way, this exchange may also be animated by a previous contentious incident between Ryan and the Trump White House that stemmed primarily from Ryan simply doing her job.

Anyway, just another day in the free world.