Trump ranted at a reporter after repeatedly dodging a question about Ukraine, before telling him to 'ask the president of Finland a question'

Donald Trump Sauli Niinisto
Donald Trump Sauli Niinisto
  • President Donald Trump repeatedly dodged a question about what he wanted to Ukraine's president to do about Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

  • Reuters reporter Jeff Mason asked Trump: "What did you or what do you want President Zelensky to do with regard to Joe and Hunter Biden?" after a White House memo revealed Trump asked Zelensky to "look into" them.

  • Trump evaded the question, talking about corruption, asking "Are talking to me?" and telling Mason to ask Finland's president, who was taking part in the press conference, a question instead.

  • Trump has become increasingly angry and erratic when talking about Ukraine as Democrats' impeachment inquiry based on the call gets underway. Trump denies any wrongdoing in the call. 

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President Donald Trump repeatedly dodged a question about what he wanted Ukraine's president to do about Joe Biden and his son, before ranting at the reporter and telling him that he should ask the president of Finland, who was standing beside him, a question instead.

Trump's reaction came as he acts increasingly angry and erratic in his response to the impeachment inquiry that was launched last week. The inquiry arose in light of a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he asked Zelensky to investigate Biden's dealings in Ukraine.

The White House's own memo of the call showed that he asked Zelensky to "look into" the Bidens alongside Attorney General William Barr and Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, but Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Read more: The notes on Trump's call with Ukraine's president hint at a quid pro quo over investigating Joe Biden's son

Trump was pressed on Wednesday about what he wanted Zelensky to do about Biden by Reuters reporter Jeff Mason, but repeatedly dodged the question, grew increasingly angry, and at one point appeared confused about whether he had been asked a question. All the while Finnish President Sauli Niinistö stood uncomfortably beside him.

You can see video of the moment here:

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1179506395416272896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
President Trump lashed out at @Reuters reporter @jeffmason1, who asked him what he wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to do when Trump brought up the business ties to Ukraine of Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden https://t.co/3aiSLeOfBL pic.twitter.com/AQF3dpkChs

 

"What did you or what do you want President Zelensky to do with regard to Joe and Hunter Biden?" — Mason asked the president.

Trump gave a long-winded reply that did not directly answer the question, before ABC News chief White House correspondent Jon Karl interjected.

You can see a transcript of the subsequent conversation below:

Jon Karl: What did you want him to look into on Biden?

US President Donald Trump: Look, Biden and his son are stone-cold crooked. And you know it. His son walks out with millions of dollars . The kid knows nothing. You know it, and so do we.

Jeff Mason: The question, sir, was what did you want Zelensky to do about Vice President Biden and his son Hunter.

Trump: Are you talking to me?

Mason: Yeah, it was just a follow up of what I just asked you, sir.

Trump: Listen, are you ready? We have the president of Finland. Ask him a question.

Mason: I have one for him. I just wanted to follow up on the one I asked you.

Trump: Did you hear me? Did you hear me? Ask him a question.

Mason: I will, but —

Trump: I've given you a long answer. Ask this gentleman a question, don't be rude.

Mason: No sir, I don't want to be rude, I just wanted you to have a chance to answer the question I asked you.

Trump: I answered everything. It's a whole hoax, and you know who's playing into the hoax? People like you and the fake news media that we have in this country. And I say in many cases, the corrupt media because you're corrupt.

Much of the media in this country is not just fake, it's corrupt. And you have some very fine people too, great journalists great reporters, but to a large extent it's corrupt and it's fake. Ask the president of Finland a question, please.

Mason: OK I'll move on now.

The White House's memo of the call, which he told reporters to read during Wednesday's exchange, shows that he asked Zelensky to "look into" allegations that Biden had stopped a probe into corruption in a Ukrainian energy company that his son, Hunter Biden, was on the board of. No wrongdoing by the Bidens has been found.

Read more: The notes on Trump's call with Ukraine's president hint at a quid pro quo over investigating Joe Biden's son

Trump did so after noting that "we do a lot for Ukraine" and Zelensky said that his country needed more defense equipment in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Donald Trump angry
Donald Trump angry

Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Trump's has become increasingly enraged as the fallout from the call continues, including personally threatening the whistleblower and accusing Democrats leading the investigation of treason. He also called the impeachment inquiry "BULLSHIT" and a "hoax" and shared a Nickelback meme in a further effort to discredit Biden.

Mason spoke about his questioning with CNN, where he said: "It was a legitimate question and he dodged it. It's our job to follow up in cases like that and that's what I did."

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