Around 80,000 cases of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) have been reported across the globe with over 2,700 deaths, according to BBC. Which is why on February 26, US President Donald Trump held a White House news conference to address the country’s preparedness in battling the disease and answering questions from the press, reports CNN.
According to India Today, a video of the conference that shows a US-based reporter allegedly mocking her Indian counterpart has gone viral online.
Not a drop of self awareness. I hope this reaches out to her.
— Damon imani🔅 (@damonimani) February 27, 2020
The snippet was first shared by Twitter user Damon Imani and the journalist has been identified as Ebony Bowden, Washington correspondent of the ‘New York Post’. Raghubir Goyal, on the other hand, is the Editor of ‘India Globe’.
– She could be laughing at what he is saying (since it’s not related to the subject of the conference)
– She could be laughing at his accent.
I don’t know, you don’t neither, because we can’t read her mind.The only thing we can say is that it doesn’t look professional.
— Damon imani🔅 (@damonimani) February 27, 2020
Shoutout to Mr. Goyal.
He has been a White House reporter since President Carter & he speaks better English than most of us speak Hindi. pic.twitter.com/8hOMfBbu2j— Damon imani🔅 (@damonimani) February 27, 2020
A lot of people thought her behaviour was unprofessional, disrespectful and even racist. Take a look.
She’s very disrespectful.
— peacethroughstrength (@haffey2020) February 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/givememoore1980/status/1232887350339878912
This is the elite in action. The look down on anybody beneath them. Pride before the fall.
— Empire Decline (@empiredecline) February 27, 2020
Rude.
— Rosemarie (@Rosemar52564403) February 27, 2020
Seems HER racism is showing.
— DLEE (@DLEE10079135) February 27, 2020
She was immature and unprofessional acting in a situation where she should have conducted herself with the utmost professionalism and respect for the gentleman speaking.
— Deplorable εїз™ 🦋 (@butterf1ylover) February 27, 2020
Respect is out the door… no ethics or common courtesy. My question is being part of the media how does she not realize there are cameras at every angle.
— Mona K Oshana 🌵 (@monakshow) February 27, 2020
However, some came out in her defense saying that she was expressing disbelief at the subject matter of the question rather than the journalist himself. Others claimed that the clip was taken out of context.
She's reacting that way because the first question at Trump's long overdue press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic was about his India trip. I reacted the same way
— More Life (@Anachrofuturist) February 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/heycheri/status/1232921740352770048
Exactly, she was laughing in disbelief that hes asking about US/India relations and talking about how great he thinks they both are instead questions about the response to the spreading virus. Was it immature, maybe a little, but normal and hardly "mocking".
— Ghost of Emmett (@EmmettsGhost) February 27, 2020
Twitter dot com can be good for breaking news sometimes but is terrible for hot takes and worse for out of context videos and reflections on people you don't know. I know this – I'm really proud to call @ebonybowden a close mate and a friend.
— Elliot J Stein (@ElliotJStein) February 27, 2020
The reporter herself had this to say.
Thank you so much, Elliot. You’re a great friend.
— Ebony Bowden (@ebonybowden) February 27, 2020
Do you think Mr. Goyal should’ve skipped the question on Trump’s India visit or that Ms. Bowden should’ve shown more professionalism? Tell us.