Reporters and activists were outraged that White House press secretary Sean Spicer was curt with American Urban Radio Networks correspondent April Ryan during Tuesday's press briefing, and told her to please stop shaking her head.
"It seems like you're hellbent on trying to make sure that whatever image you want to tell about this White House stays," Spicer lectured Ryan. "You're asking me a question and I'm going to answer it. Which is the president– I'm sorry, please stop shaking your head again."
Spicer's request for Ryan to not shake her head caused an uproar amongst journalists and activists on Twitter. Spicer's statement was described as "patronizing," "outrageous," and "demeaning and insulting."
Here's Sean Spicer telling April Ryan not to shake her head. pic.twitter.com/ojHnkt7MVW
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) March 28, 2017
"Stop shaking your head again," Spicer lectures @AprilDRyan, who is a grown woman.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 28, 2017
"Please stop shaking your head again," Spicer says to veteran WH correspondent April Ryan.
That is some patronizing bullshit.— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) March 28, 2017
This is OUTRAGEOUS. https://t.co/4UawOPAn2k
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) March 28, 2017
Spicer's treatment of @AprilDRyan was pretty demeaning and insulting, tbh.
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) March 28, 2017
.@PressSec just told @AprilDRyan to "stop shaking your head."
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) March 28, 2017
The disrespect here is really something. https://t.co/99GMtf3xs2
— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) March 28, 2017
A new low reached in the WH press briefing https://t.co/vB5ytJJeRK
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) March 28, 2017
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) March 28, 2017
Sean Spicer to April Ryan "Stop shaking your head again" - I'm sorry, what?
— Yashar (@yashar) March 28, 2017
Some implied that Spicer was inclined to tell Ryan to stop shaking her head because she is a female and African-American.
Sean Spicer is rude to everyone, but it's difficult to imagine him speaking to a white, male reporter the way he spoke to April Ryan today.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) March 28, 2017
Spicer keeps telling a female African American reporter to stop shaking her head.
— Bahman Kalbasi (@BahmanKalbasi) March 28, 2017