Donald Trump had a meeting Monday with the Washington Post’s editorial board to lay out his foreign policy proposals. And because he’s a sticky, grabby, Cheeto-hued toddler with no sense of adult deportment (and hires people of a similar mindset), he also hit on a woman editor.
The meeting itself was batshit in its entirety, and the people Trump expects to lead him in foreign policy matters shouldn’t be doing so. Just after it concluded Monday afternoon, Karen Attiah, the Post’s deputy Opinions editor, tweeted this:
She followed up saying she was writing about the incident; a few hours later the Post released a transcript of the full meeting, which features—by way of a red flag—this exchange, between Trump and Fred Hiatt, the editorial page editor:
TRUMP: I’ll tell you one thing, this is a very good looking group of people here. Could I just go around so I know who the hell I’m talking to?
HIATT: Sure, then I’d like to let a couple of them get in questions.
Vince Bzdek, a news editor and features writer at the Post, also tweeted this:
The transcript shows that Attiah and Trump had a lengthy exchange about the divisive, racist campaign he’s running, in which he insisted to her that it wasn’t divisive or racist at all:
TRUMP: We do, if it’s illegals, in other words, if it’s everybody, but people that are legally living here, I’m doing very well. In other words, people that are here, like Hispanics that are in the country, I’m doing very well. People that vote. Like people leaving voting booths and all, I’m doing very well with them. I want to be inclusive, but at the same time, people should come here legally, they should be here legally. And I think the reason I’m doing, that I will do well, especially once I get started, don’t forget I haven’t even focused on Hillary yet. And, and as you know, you know I’ve had polls that are against me, but I’ve had many polls that say I’d beat Hillary, but they’re not that, that, they don’t mean anything now because it’s too early. Because I haven’t hit her. I’ve only hit her once, and that was eight weeks ago, but, I haven’t started on Hillary yet, and when I do I think I’ll be able to make my points. I mean, you know, but, but I think that just to try and answer your question: Uh, I am the least racist person that you will ever meet. Okay. That I can tell you.
ATTIAH: But do you feel that your messages, your rhetoric, are dangerous and divisive for this country? How do you feel they’re . . .
TRUMP: I don’t think so. No, I don’t think so. With the Muslim thing I think it’s a serious problem. I’ve had Muslims call and tell me you’re right with the Muslim thing, I think it’s a serious problem. And it’s a problem that has to be addressed. I mean, there’s tremendous hatred. Even the, even the guy they caught in Paris. He was being hid out by other Muslims, and everybody is after him, and he’s living right next to where he grew up. There’s a serious, serious problem with the Muslims and it’s got to be addressed. It’s temporary, and it’s got to be addressed. And you know you may think of it as negative, many people think it’s very positive.
After the meeting ended, Attiah later wrote in a separate piece, she tried thanking Trump for taking her question and he responded as you’d expect:
As the meeting ended and we were walking out of the room, I thanked Trump for taking my question. He turned to me and said, “I really hope I answered your question,” and added casually with a smile, “Beautiful.” I was stunned. I didn’t say thank you, and I don’t think I smiled. He then walked out to meet with my Post colleagues briefly before heading to the elevator. I stayed in the conference room for a few minutes as it sunk in that the potential GOP nominee for president thought it was okay to comment on my appearance. Did he just say that?
Before Attiah’s story even came out, Trump fans immediately began defending their guy with all the verve and charm you’d expect:
Also Monday, Trump invited a woman wearing a media badge to the podium during a press conference for an impromptu job interview, calling her “sweetie.”
That woman is named Alicia Watkins; she’s apparently not a journalist, but, as she told the Donald, someone who makes decorations. CNN’s Dylan Byers reported Watkins is a retired Air Force staff sergeant who has appeared on Oprah. She was wearing a badge from someplace called Troops Media, which does not exist.
Watkins was, unlike Attiah, evidently sincerely flattered, beaming as she went to talk with someone from the Trump Organization. Just another weird and off-putting day in Trumpland.
Update: The headline of this piece has been changed from “sexually harassed” to “hit on.”
Image via AP.