Starved for attention, Donald Trump seizes the limelight and completely disrespects mother of one of the Americans killed in Benghazi.
Republican nominee Donald Trump lit a powder keg of controversy when he called in to Fox News during an impassioned speech by a mother of an American killed in Benghazi.
Pat Smith was tearfully addressing the Republican National Convention on Monday when Trump saw fit to redirect attention to himself by calling Fox News host Bill O’Reilly for an on-air interview.
As Mediaite reports, “Right after she spoke, when Trump was still on Fox, there was a video on Benghazi and two of the heroes of that night spoke.”
This meant that Fox News itself did not cover Smith’s speech or that of the two Benghazi heroes, as Trump wanted to direct attention to himself by trashing former Republican challenger Ohio Gov. John Kasich for not attending the GOP Convention.
“He got beaten very, very badly. He could have left — he should have left many weeks earlier than he did, but he just hung around,” Trump told O’Reilly.
Reaction was swift on social media. Even Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume thought Trump’s behavior was odd, telling Bill O’Reilly a few minutes later that he found the timing of the interview “interesting.”
James Hohmann, national political correspondent for The Washington Post, remarked on Hume’s remarks.
Now Brit Hume on Fox saying it was strange for Trump to call into Fox during Patricia Smith's speech blaming Hillary for her son's death.
— James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) July 19, 2016
Philip Rucker, also from The Washington Post, remarked on the fact that the interview pre-empted Fox News coverage of Smith’s speech.
Strange that Trump would do Fox interview right now, meaning viewers aren’t watching emotional moving speech by Benghazi victim’s mother.
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) July 19, 2016
Dylan Byers, senior reporter for Media & Politics had this to say:
If Benghazi messaging is so important to Trump, why did he step on that message by giving interview to Fox News? https://t.co/CBHUjXx4Q5
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) July 19, 2016
Daniel Dale, the Washington correspondent for the Toronto Star, posted as well:
Trump has called in to Fox News during his own convention, getting them to abandon an emotional speech from the mom of a Benghazi victim.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 19, 2016
Christina Wilkie, national political reporter at The Huffington Post, weighed in as well:
Wow, Trump just caused Fox to pan away from the mother of a Benghazi Trump to do a phones with him. pic.twitter.com/kLKQBWxiOq
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) July 19, 2016
Here are a few more reactions from stunned individuals:
While a grieving mother is sharing at #RNCinCLE about losing her son in Benghazi, Trump phones into FOX. https://t.co/UE4wgQyumx
— Ellie (@ellievoices) July 19, 2016
New post: "
Trump competes with his OWN convention as he phones in for Fox News interview and blasts Black Lives … https://t.co/4XTTcmqBCq— Lee Levy (@thekingleelevy) July 19, 2016
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