President Donald Trump appeared visibly confused during a White House press conference on Thursday when he struggled to understand a reporter’s question, a moment that quickly turned into an offensive rant.
As the exchange unraveled, Trump looked to Attorney General Pam Bondi to step in, but Trump’s follow-up made the moment even worse.
“Yesterday there as a vote at the Knesset in Israel on annexing the West Bank. Do you see it as a challenge to your peace efforts?” a French reporter asked.
“Will you answer that please because I cannot understand a word she’s saying,” Trump said as he turned to Bondi, ordering her to answer.
Bondi tries to save Trump from the embarrassment by leaning in and whispering the question. But before she could finish, Trump interrupts to ask the reporter questions.
“Where are you from? You’re from France? Beautiful accent, but we can’t understand what you’re saying,” Trump replied with a compliment mixed with an insult.
Bondi finally manages to give him clarification, but that did little to help with his response. It’s odd that Trump was confused about Knesset because he just gave a speech there not even two weeks ago, but he apparently knew about the Knesset’s vote to take the West Bank.
When Trump finally understands what’s happening his answer is a condescending rant.
“The West Bank is, don’t worry about the West Bank. Israel’s not going to do anything with the West Bank, OK? Don’t worry about it. Is that your question? They’re not going to do anything with the West Bank. Don’t worry about it,” Trump said dismissively.
Social media erupted, accusing the president of either complete ignorance or duplicity.
“He has no idea what the Knesset is. Why is blondie DOJ person at his side every day? Is she his caretaker? I remember when Obama and Lynch (DOJ) were seen on the same tarmac and the GOP lost its mind. But this is ok?” Threads user Dianne Mullins pointed out.
“I remember that too. Pocket Pam. She’s there to guide and obey,” a Threads user responded. While another noticed the way Bondi touched Trump’s arm to get his attention, “The way Pam Bondi touches Trump, like she’s used to rubbing on him.”
Another observed, “She’s probably one of several of his caretakers.”
“The way he speaks to female reporters is horrendous, embarrassing, and degrading,” others called out Trump for his repeated disregard for female reporters.
“Everyone is there, Hogsbreath, Nomam, Pratel, do these people not work. It really is the worst daily reality show,” this Threads user stated.
Another took a personal jab at the president, “She was perfectly clear. Yes, she has an accent but it was clear. How does he understand Melania? His hearing is going and his mind is gone.”
The symbolic vote by the Knesset Wednesday seemed an attempt to embarrass Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during Vice Presidsent JD Vance’s visit.
Vance called the vote “symbolic” and an “insult” as the Trump administration tries to protect a fragile ceasefire it brokered a few weeks ago between Israel and Hamas.
“The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy,” Vance said before departing the country, according to Politico. “And if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that. But we certainly weren’t happy about it.”
Before leaving Israel after two days of meetings with officials, Vance told reporters Trump would not allow Israel to take over the West Bank.
Israel and Hamas agreed to stop fighting under the Trump-brokered peace deal earlier this month and the Israeli military began withdrawing from the demolished region.
Hamas returned all the living Israeli hostages and the bodies of several others as Israel released Palestinian detainees in exchange.
But other critical parts of the deal have not been finalized yet, including disarming Hamas, sending in an international stabilizing force and how to create a new Palestinian state.
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