Donald Trump Interrupted a Call with Irish Leader to Tell Irish Reporter She Has a 'Nice Smile'
Donald Trump is facing backlash after an Irish reporter shared a video of the president singling her out to compliment her smile during a phone call with Ireland’s new prime minister.
Caitriona Perry, the Washington correspondent for Irish public broadcaster RTE, described being singled out by the president in the Oval Office Tuesday as a “bizarre moment.”
Trump congratulated Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on his victory before telling him over the phone, “We have a lot of your Irish press watching us,” and beckoned Perry over with his finger.
“And where are you from? Go ahead, come here, come here. Where are you from? We have all of this beautiful Irish press,” he said Perry makes her way over to his desk.
“She has a nice smile on her face, so I bet she treats you well,” Trump told the Irish leader as Perry walked back to her spot laughing.
Video of the bizarre moment when President @realDonaldTrump called me over during his call with Taoiseach @campaignforLeo Varadkar. @rtenews pic.twitter.com/TMl2SFQaji
— Caitriona Perry (@CaitrionaPerry) June 27, 2017
Social media was quick to react, calling the encounter “creepy” and apologizing to Perry for the president’s comments.
“That’s kind of creepy. Do you think that he was being sexist in any way? I mean did it feel like he was judging you based on your looks?” one commented said on Perry’s Instagram page.
“Please accept the apology of at least 1 female American,” a Twitter user replied to the video.
Trump,"She has a nice smile on her face so I bet she treats you well."????Ms.Perry, please accept the apology of at least 1 female American.????
— Christine Canning (@Canni2Canning) June 27, 2017
In case anyone is wondering: no, the Trump/Caitriona Perry thing is not a novelty episode, it's sexist and creepy. https://t.co/obdssqf5hW
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) June 28, 2017
*sigh* The apology tour Americans are going to have to go on after this turnip is ousted is going to be long.
We are truly sorry, Ms. P.— Dane Rauschenberg (@SeeDaneRun) June 27, 2017
Yes. I'd like a huge sign that says "Pardon our mess, we are working on making America kind again."
— allison hazell (@AllisonHazell) June 27, 2017
We apologize that our president is a weird, inappropriate creep.
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) June 27, 2017
During his call, Trump also underscored the importance of the United States-Ireland relationship and invited Taoiseach Varadkar to participate in the White House St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Watch: Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Assault
Accusations of similar encounters between Trump and female reporters have widely circulated throughout his campaign. PEOPLE senior editor Charlotte Triggs experienced such an incident firsthand.
“He’s a media-savvy guy, always taking care to pay me a compliment,” Triggs wrote in a March 2016 story about two days spent with Trump. “This time, it was: ‘You’re so beautiful’ and, for a journalist, the much more flattering line, ‘I really don’t give interviews anymore. But I respect PEOPLE and I respect you,’ he says.”
Last October, PEOPLE writer Natasha Stoynoff accused Trump of forcibly grabbing her and kissing her while she was on assignment at his estate at Mar-a-Lago, Florida in December 2005. Trump has publicly denied Stoynoff’s accusations.
