2 Reporters. 2 Presidents. 2 Very Reasonable Questions. And then, 1 Completely Unhinged Response.

In sharp contrast to my 2012 interview with President Obama, President Trump’s vicious attack on reporter Peter Alexander today was, perhaps evidence of a leader unraveling.

In 2012, I was a nervous, young journalist asking President Obama a question on behalf of scared Americans (myself included) in the midst of our country’s economic crisis. I was looking for hope to share with others.

And today, veteran reporter NBC News Reporter Peter Alexander asked a similarly reasonable question — this time in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic — yet the responses we each received could not have been more different …or disturbing.

TRUMP

During today’s daily task force briefing at the White House, reporter Peter Alexander asked President Trump if he might be giving “false hope” to Americans by showing enthusiasm for unproven drugs to combat the coronavirus.

Alexander then asked Trump, “What do you say to the Americans who are scared, though? I guess … nearly 200 dead, 14,000 who are sick, millions, as you have witnessed, who are scared right now. What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now, who are scared?”

And that’s when the beast was apparently unleashed.

Trump replied:

“I say that you are a terrible reporter. That’s what I say.”

Trump then told Alexander he’d asked a “nasty question,” and went off on Alexander’s network — as well as its parent company.

“You’re doing sensationalism,” Trump said. “And the same with NBC and Comcast. I don’t call it Comcast. I call it ‘Con-Cast.’”

“Let me just tell you something,” Trump then added. “That’s really bad reporting. And you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism.”