After attacking a black pastor who dared to cut-off his political rant in her pulpit, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is now going after a female journalist who dared to ask his daughter, a prominent campaign surrogate, basic questions about his latest policy proposal.
Cosmopolitan reporter, and former Salon assistant editor, Prachi Gupta interviewed Ivanka Trump about her father's recently released child care plan, and things didn't go as well as the Trump campaign had apparently hoped they would. Based on her reaction, Ivanka Trump was clearly gobsmacked that a journalist from Cosmopolitan would dare ask her substantive questions about the proposal instead of simply lobbing superficial softballs.
When Gupta asked Ivanka Trump how her father's plan, which would federally mandate six weeks of maternity-leave coverage — without consideration for paternity leave— would benefit all same-sex couples, the eldest Trump daughter stumbled.
“So it's meant to benefit, whether it's in same-sex marriages as well, to benefit the mother who has given birth to the child if they have legal married status under the tax code,” Ivanka Trump said in the interview.
"Well, what about gay couples, where both partners are men?" Gupta asked.
Ivanka Trump responded: “The policy is fleshed out online, so you can go see all the elements of it. But the original intention of the plan is to help mothers in recovery in the immediate aftermath of childbirth.”
But Gupta kept pressing the issue. “So I just want to be clear that, for same-sex adoption, where the two parents are both men, they would not be receiving special leave for that because they don't need to recover or anything?” she asked.
“Well, those are your words, not mine,” Ivanka Trump snapped back. “Those are your words. The plan, right now, is focusing on mothers, whether they be in same-sex marriages or not.”
Gupta continued to press Ivanka Trump, referring to a comment her father made in 2004 about pregnancy being “inconvenient for business” and asking her what has changed since then.
"In 2004, Donald Trump said that pregnancy is an inconvenient thing for a business. It's surprising to see this policy from him today. Can you talk a little about those comments, and perhaps what has changed?" Gupta asked.
“So I think that you have a lot of negativity in these questions," Ivanka Trump pushed back. "I think my father has put forth a very comprehensive and really revolutionary plan to deal with a lot of issues.” Ivanka Trump complained the Gupta's question was "an unfair characterization of his track record and his support of professional women," referring to her father.
“I don't know how useful it is to spend too much time with you on this if you're going to make a comment like that,” Ivanka Trump said before abruptly ending the interview.
After the interview was published, Ivanka Trump was quick to lash out at the women's magazine, tweeting that it should "keep the focus where it belongs -- advocating change":
And appearing on Fox Business Network Friday morning, her father continued the attacks on Cosmopolitan, specifically targeting Gupta. According to CBS News reporter Sopan Deb, Trump told FBN's Maria Bartiromo that Gupta is "a non-intelligent reporter":
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