Story highlights
- “I happen to be a black woman, but I’m part of the press,” Ryan said
- Spicer told Ryan to “stop shaking your head” at a White House briefing
“We are — the press is — under attack. We are under attack by this administration,” American Urban Radio Networks correspondent April Ryan said on CNN’s “New Day.” “It’s about discrediting credible media.”
Ryan, one of the few black female journalists in the press briefing room, declined to say if she thought Spicer treated women journalists differently but did highlight another recent incident involving Spicer and another female journalist.
“I happen to be a black woman, but I’m part of the press,” she said. “But this is part of a series of two women this week who have been in the news over something with the press secretary.”
“I just see from the weekend that reporter from Politico who he called an idiot and then this situation, it’s showing a pattern,” Ryan added.
Spicer and Ryan had a much more positive exchange at Wednesday’s briefing when Ryan was the first journalist the press secretary called on. The two exchanged pleasantries while smiling and laughing as others in the room laughed.
Ryan previously had a tense exchange in February with Trump over his desire to meet with black lawmakers.
“No,” Ryan replied, adding that she was “just a reporter.”