Donald Trump Disrespects Another Black Female Journalist, This Time Over Memphis Takeover Question

Donald Trump is continuing his attack on journalists, this time by once again lashing out at a Black female journalist over questioning his plans to deploy the National Guard into another predominantly Black city. 

On Friday, while taking questions in the Oval Office from the White House Press Pool, a reporter pressed Trump on his plans to deploy the National Guard in Memphis, Tennessee.

“Mr. President, what are your plans for—” the reporter asked before Trump, visibly irritated, cut her off. 

“Quiet. You’re really obnoxious,” Trump snapped.

“I’m not obnoxious, but I’m trying to ask you what about your plans for Memphis,” the unidentified reporter pushed back. “Many people want to know what the numbers are going to be like. What are your plans for Memphis, Mr. President?”

Trump doubled down on his callous response, opting to spew an insult over information. 

“You are really obnoxious,” Trump said. “I’m not going to talk to you until I call on you.” He then turned to other reporters, refusing to acknowledge her question further.

The question came after Trump formally announced earlier this week that he had signed an order authorizing National Guard troops to be sent into Memphis, with the backing of Republican Governor Bill Lee. The move mirrors his earlier deployment of federal forces in the American cities of Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., during protests, as he continues to threaten to deploy troops to Chicago.

“This task force will be a replica of our extraordinarily successful efforts here [in Washington, D.C.],” Trump said. “And, you’ll see it’s a lot of the same thing.”

The presidential memorandum signed by Trump did not include details on when troops would be deployed or exactly what the surge in law enforcement efforts would look like.

“Planning is currently underway, and we will continue to work closely with federal and local partners to determine the most effective path forward,” Gov. Lee’s spokesperson, Elizabeth Lane Johnson, said.

“It’s very important because of the crime that’s going on, not only in Memphis, in many cities,” Trump said Monday, noting that the task force would involve not only the state National Guard but also the FBI, immigration officials, U.S. Marshals, and others.

According to Trump, the surge would include a coalition of federal agencies — the FBI, DEA, ICE, and U.S. Marshals Service, alongside out-of-state resources like National Guard units from Mississippi and Arkansas. “We’re sending in the big force now,” Trump said.

The White House claimed Memphis’s overall crime rate is higher than the national average and has risen over the past year. But Memphis police reported in August that the city’s crime rate had actually declined across every major category, hitting a 25-year low overall, with homicides at a six-year low.

Tennessee’s governor backed Trump’s decision for troop deployment, saying he was “tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.” 

“I’m tired of Memphis being held back by the crime issue so when it became possible for us to work together with the Trump administration to bring the full force of resources, the full complement of law enforcement resources into the biggest problem we have in our state as it relates to crime I said, ‘Yes, we can and we should,'” the Governor said.

Republican senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty also joined Trump and Lee in the Oval Office as he signed the order for deployment. Memphis Mayor Paul Young, however, rejected Trump’s framing. 

“I did not ask for the National Guard, and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime,” Young said Friday. “We remain high on too many bad lists.” 

Trump’s repeated targeting of journalists, African Americans, and Democratic representatives underscores broader concerns about his disregard for free speech and press freedoms. By refusing to answer questions of public concern while insulting reporters who press him, critics argue Trump is undermining democratic accountability.

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