Trump scolds press during disorderly photo op
"Hey, fellas, easy! Fellas, easy!"
-- President Donald Trump invited media into the Oval Office to observe a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in this morning, but while the leaders wished to talk about trade negotiations and North Korea, the photo opportunity began in a frenzy as a lamp was nearly knocked off a table, which clearly did not amuse the U.S. president.
The scrum was larger than normal in order to accommodate a large contingency of foreign reporters -- many of whom were unfamiliar with news gathering at the White House.
As members of the White House and foreign press corps jostled for position in the Oval Office, the crush of journalists appeared to slide a couch into an end table next to the president. The collision caused a lamp to wobble, and Keith Schiller, the president’s director of Oval Office operations, can be seen in video catching the lamp before it falls into the president’s lap.
Trump’s patience seemed to quickly wear thin, and he attempted to restore order.
“Easy, fellas,” the president said, appearing quite annoyed by the hysteria. “Hey, fellas, easy! Fellas, easy!”
“You guys are getting worse,” Trump mulled. “They knocked the table down.”
Then Trump told Moon, “It's actually a very friendly press. Don't let that get you. Although we just lost a table.”
Finally, the excitement settled down and the presidents each proceeded to deliver remarks, with Trump expressing optimism on trade and revealing that the duo would discuss a range of options to counter the growing menace posed by a nuclear North Korea.