Donald Trump Jr got into a testy exchange with an MSNBC reporter during the Republican National Convention on Monday, calling the network “clowns” before telling the journalist to “get out of here.”
Don Jr and his siblings Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump appeared at the convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the opening day of the convention where their father Donald Trump appeared in public for the first time since the assassination attempt and where his vice presidential pick was unveiled.
The Trump clan spoke to various supporters and reporters at the event but, when Don Jr came to speak to MSNBC’s Jacob Soboroff, things turned fiery on the convention floor.
Soboroff had asked Don Jr about the immigration policies Americans might expect from a potential second Trump term – particularly whether the Republican would revive his controversial “zero-tolerance” policy separating children from their parents at the US-Mexico border.
“I know immigration is important to him. I covered the family separation crisis closely. Will we continue to see policies like separating 5,000 children deliberately from their parents?” Soboroff asked.
“You mean the Obama administration?” Don Jr replied.
Soboroff quickly corrected him: “You know they didn’t do that, sir.”
When he repeated his question about whether Trump would implement another family separation policy, Don Jr lost his cool.
“It’s MSDNC [sic], so I expect nothing less from you clowns,” the former president’s eldest son retorted.
“Even, even today, even 48 hours later. You couldn’t wait. You couldn’t wait with your lies and with your nonsense, so just get out of here,” he added, while swatting his hand.
During Trump’s term in the White House, he implemented a “zero tolerance” initiative for immigration at the US’s southern border which included a controversial family separation policy where thousands of children were taken from their parents at the border.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he inherited the controversial policy from the Obama administration – something that is false.
Following public outrage and bipartisan criticism in 2018, Trump signed an executive order to end the separation.
At the RNC, Don Jr also told reporters about the moment he heard his father had been targeted by a would-be assassin at his Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
“I mean, obviously, it was a pretty somber moment,” Don Jr told CNN at the convention, moments after his father received the Republican party’s official nomination.
“I was with my kids on a Saturday evening, and I get this news that he’s been shot, but I couldn’t get ahold of anyone. He was in lockdown at the hospital, took about 90 minutes.”
“I told him, ‘You’re the biggest bad a** I know,’” Don Jr added.
Trump put in an appearance at the RNC with his ear bandaged from the attack, being met with loud chants and cheers from supporters.
This came after Trump also announced that he had chosen Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate for November.
“I think it’s an incredible pick. I think he is an incredible guy with an amazing story both in business and in life,” Don Jr said of Vance.
“Listen, I’ve seen him on TV,” he continued.
“I’ve seen him prosecute the case against the Democrats. No one’s more articulate than that. And I think his story, his background, really helps us in a lot of the places that you’re going to need from the Electoral College standpoint.”
