After the conclusion of a White House event on Tuesday, President Donald Trump responded to continued questions from CNN's chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta by simply pointing to the door and telling him, "out."
The exchange occurred as Trump wrapped up a press conference with the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Acosta continued to pepper President Trump with questions about his immigration policies in the light of controversial statements the president was accused of making during a bipartisan immigration meeting last Thursday.
"Did you say that you wanted more people to come in from Norway?" Acosta asked.
"I want them to come in from everywhere. Everywhere," the president responded.
"Just caucasian or white countries, sir? Or do you want people from other parts of the world? Where there are people of color," Acosta pushed.
"Thank you, Jim," a press aide can be heard saying out of view in an effort to conclude the event, as announced.
"Out," the president added, pointing.
Not long after the altercation in the Oval Office, Acosta took to Twitter to make his dismay at the president and White House staffers known.
"In Oval Office pool spray, I asked why Trump wants more people to come in from Norway. He said he wants people to come in from everywhere. Verbatim coming." he tweeted.
"When I tried to follow up on this in the Oval Office, Trump told me to get 'out.' We then went to the Roosevelt Room where WH aides obstructed us from asking questions," Acosta wrote.
When I tried to follow up on this in the Oval Office, Trump told me to get "out." We then went to the Roosevelt Room where WH aides obstructed us from asking questions. https://t.co/vuEIv1jvso
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2018
"As I attempted to ask questions in Roosevelt Room of Trump, WH press aides shouted in my face to drown out my questions. I have never encountered that before," the CNN correspondent said of what followed after being ushered out of the oval office.
As I attempted to ask questions in Roosevelt Room of Trump, WH press aides shouted in my face to drown out my questions. I have never encountered that before.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2018
"What occurred reminded me of something I would see in a different country. Certainly not at the WH. Certainly not in the U.S, " Acosta added.
What occurred reminded me of something I would see in a different country. Certainly not at the WH. Certainly not in the U.S. https://t.co/hV6vPRe0p2
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2018
Acosta's questions arose because Trump allegedly referred to particular countries as "s--tholes" during an immigration meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders. In the same meeting, the president is alleged to have also expressed support for increasing immigration from countries like Norway. The president maintains Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) has "misrepresented" his comments during the meeting.
Tuesday's press conference was meant to highlight President Nazarbayev's visit to the United States, the first such by the Kazakh leader since 2006. Kazakhstan, which shares a border with Russia, is a strategically important player in central-Asian affairs. The visit is intended to showcase shared interests in the region and provide an opportunity to "discuss ways to strengthen and enhance our strategic partnership on regional security issues and economic cooperation," according to a White House press release.