NPR host Rachel Martin on Tuesday asked White House counselor Kellyanne Conway if it was hypocritical for President Trump to invite an 11-year-old who has been bulled to the State of the Union, saying Trump has his own history of “cyberbullying people with whom he disagrees.”
“Is the president going to mention Joshua in his address?” Martin asked Conway on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” in reference to Joshua Trump, a sixth-grade student whose parents say has faced bullying because of his last name. “And in doing so, will he apologize for his own role in cyberbullying people with whom he disagrees?”
{mosads}Conway responded by saying that Joshua Trump’s story pulled at the “heartstrings” of any parent who has school-age children. Martin then repeated the question.
“Will the president apologize for how he’s used the internet to bully people?” Martin said.
Conway appeared to dismiss the question, saying President Trump uses his “considerable media platforms to cut through the middlemen who don’t tell the truth about his record.”
She described the president as a “counterpuncher,” noting that he’s been unafraid to call out people, pointing to Trump calling for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to resign over a racist photo from his 1984 medical school yearbook page.
Martin continued to press Conway, saying the president also calls out people within his own administration as well as members of Congress.
“He’s also called out his own intelligence chiefs, calling them naive, saying they should go back to school, calling [Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)] low IQ Maxine Waters,” Martin replied. “There is though some hypocrisy, people have pointed out, to inviting a young man who has been bullied [and] to ignore the president’s own role.”
Conway said that parents with school-age children “really appreciate” both Trump and first lady Melania Trump addressing bullying by bringing Joshua Trump to the U.S. Capitol. She also mentioned Melania Trump’s “Be Best” initiative that encourages children to be kind on social media.
The White House announced on Monday that President Trump would bring more than 10 people as special guests to Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. A statement from the administration said Joshua Trump was “thankful to the First Lady and the Trump family for their support.”