Donald Trump was criticized on social media after his demeanor towards a female reporter shifted dramatically upon learning she represented The Daily Wire. The exchange occurred when the reporter questioned Trump about French President Emmanuel Macron's comments.
The reporter asked Trump if Macron was "blaming the Iran war and you, essentially, for the rioting in France right now." Trump initially dismissed the assertion, calling it "fake news." He then asked the reporter which outlet she worked for, a question he often uses to preface criticism of journalists.
Upon hearing she was from The Daily Wire, Trump's response changed. "Oh, Daily Wire is good," he said, adding, "Sorry, Daily Wire is good," before walking away. He then returned to state that Macron was "a friend of mine" and attributed the unrest to immigration, despite officials citing left-wing movements as the cause.
The White House later shared a clip of the exchange on X, with a laughing emoji. However, social media users expressed a different reaction, with some labeling the interaction as indicative of Trump's selective engagement with the press. Critics pointed out the rapid reversal from calling a question "fake news" to deeming the outlet "good" based on its perceived alignment. Some comments suggested this demonstrated a tactic to avoid answering questions he disliked by labeling them as "fake news" and that his apology was insincere, motivated by his perception of The Daily Wire as a supportive outlet.