This Shouting Match Between Trump and a Journalist Will Make Your Stomach Turn

At his first press conference as president-elect, Donald Trump got into a tense argument with CNN's Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta after refusing to answer his question.

In a video shared by an NBC news editor, Bradd Jaffy, Trump is shown continually rejecting Acosta's question. After much back and forth, Acosta finally said, "You are attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?" In response, Trump said, "Quiet." The exchange then came to a halt when Trump said, "You are fake news," and proceeded to the next reporter.

The upsetting incident came just moments after the president-elect mischaracterized BuzzFeed as "a failing pile of garbage." His statement was in response to BuzzFeed's publication of material that alleges Russia has compromising information about Trump. For a so-called "failing pile of garbage," that story currently has over three million views. Trump then condemned CNN for reporting on the findings — although it did not publish the compromising details — which is why he accused Acosta and CNN of distributing "fake news."

What Trump said about BuzzFeed after he called them garbage was even more disturbing: "I think they're going to suffer the consequences." He certainly tried to show CNN these "consequences." Following their exchange, Acosta claimed that incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer threatened to kick him out of the conference. In an on-air statement shared by BuzzFeed's Dominic Holden, Acosta said, "After I asked and I guess demanded that we have a question, Sean Spicer, the press secretary did say to me that if I were to do that again, I was going be thrown out of this press conference."

Trump's treatment of the press has been fraught with similar tactics that intend to intimidate the necessary work of journalists — it's alarming for many reasons, including being symptomatic of tyrannical rule.