PBS reporter says media coverage of Trump feels like ‘a team sport’

PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor said covering President Trump is “like a team sport” where the press corps “have to have each other’s back” as she addressed her latest dust-up with the president on Sunday.

The comments, in an interview with MSNBC, come after Alcindor was the subject of praise from multiple journalists on social media Sunday night following a heated back-and-forth with Trump during an earlier press briefing. 

When called upon by Trump on Sunday, Alcindor said she had two questions. But Trump lashed out at her over her first question. Later, the PBS correspondent was able to ask her second question to Trump after CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond handed her the microphone, forgoing his turn.

“It went a bit better than the first round, which was the first time the president lashed out at me and took it personally that I was trying to hold him accountable by quoting his words back to him,” Alcindor told MSNBC on Monday. “In this case, of course, I have to say thank you to Jeremy of CNN for giving me the opportunity to ask my second question.”

“We know now that covering President Trump sometimes is like a team sport. We have to have each other’s back in the press corps, and Jeremy had my back,” Alcindor added. “So I appreciate that.”

During the Sunday news briefing, the president lashed out at Alcindor after she asked him about recent comments he made questioning whether some coronavirus-related requests from governors were overblown or unnecessary.

“Why don’t you act in a little more positive? … It’s always get ya, get ya, get ya,” Trump said to Alcindor. “You know what? That’s why nobody trusts the media anymore.”

“That’s why you used to work for the [New York] Times and now you work for somebody else,” he continued. “Look, let me tell you something. Be nice. Don’t be threatening.”

Alcindor left The New York Times for PBS in 2018.

The hashtag #WeLoveYamiche was trending on social media late Sunday into Monday after Trump told Alcindor not to be “threatening” during a coronavirus press conference. 

#WeLoveYamiche and every professional journalist on the job covering the #CoronavirusOutbreak. Thank you.

— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) March 30, 2020

What, you don’t want us to tweet #WeLoveYamiche? https://t.co/je0fSHAqsX

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 30, 2020