Trump’s attack on Mika Brzezinski came a day after he interrupted a phone call congratulating Ireland’s new prime minister on his election victory to single out a female reporter from Ireland.
President Donald Trump: “We have a lot of—well, we have a lot of your Irish press watching us. They’re just now leaving the room. And where are you from? Go ahead. Come here. Come here. Where are you from? We have all of this beautiful Irish press. Where are you from?”
Caitríona Perry: “I’m from RTE News.”
President Donald Trump: ”RTE, oh, good!”
Caitríona Perry: “The Taoiseach will know me. Caitríona Perry.”
President Donald Trump: “Caitríona Perry. She has a nice smile on her face. So I bet she treats you well.”
Caitríona Perry later recalled the incident as “bizarre.” Trump has a history of sexist comments. In a leaked 2005 “Access Hollywood” video, Trump is caught on a hot microphone openly boasting about sexually assaulting women. During a presidential debate in 2015, Trump was asked by then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly about his history of sexist comments.
Megyn Kelly: “You’ve called women you don’t like 'fat pigs,' 'dogs,' 'slobs' and 'disgusting animals.' Your Twitter account has several”—
Donald Trump: “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”
Megyn Kelly: “No, it wasn’t. Your Twitter account”—
Donald Trump: “Thank you.”
Megyn Kelly: “For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell.”
Donald Trump: “Yes, I’m sure it was.”
Megyn Kelly’s questions led Trump to attack her on the campaign trail. This is Donald Trump speaking in August of 2015 making another reference to women and blood, as he did Thursday to Mika Brzezinski.
Donald Trump: “She gets out, and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. And, you know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her, wherever.”
At least 13 women have accused Trump of unwanted sexual advances.