(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) ABC News reporter Rachel Scott criticized President Donald Trump at a black journalists’ conference on Wednesday, tying him to allegations of racism. Yet, she stayed silent last month when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi questioned her ability to speak English.
Pelosi’s offensive remarks came in response to Scott’s inquiry about whether President Joe Biden should run for re-election. This exchange occurred on July 10, more than a week before Biden would eventually withdraw from the race.
“Am I speaking English to you? I’m not going to be making any statements about any of that right now in the hallway,” Pelosi said after Scott, a black woman, repeated questions about the state of the Democratic Party in 2024.
Scott stood silent as Pelosi condescendingly moved her hand to dismiss her questions. Notably, Scott did not respond to Headline USA’s request for comment before the publication of this article.
Speaker Pelosi tells me Biden can win
She says she won’t make comments in the hallway about “the fate of our nation”
When I asked if Biden should run she said
“Am I speaking English to you? I’m not going to be making any statements about any of that right now in the hallway..” pic.twitter.com/8R1KsTuTc0
— Rachel Scott (@rachelvscott) July 10, 2024
This passive attitude was strikingly different from Scott’s defiant and hostile tone when she co-hosted the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists convention, where she interviewed Trump about his presidential agenda.
Scott opened the interview with a bafflingly confrontational tone.
“I want to start by addressing the elephant in the room, sir. A lot of people did not think it was appropriate for you to be here today,” she said, referring to journalists who were angered by the NABJ conference’s invitation to Trump.
Scott then told Trump that he had questioned whether some minority opponents were born in the U.S., had instructed U.S. lawmakers to “go back where they came from,” and had referred to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as an “animal” and black journalists as “losers.”
Scott then brazenly asked, “Why should black voters trust you after you have used language like that?”
Unfazed by the unprofessional question, Trump responded, “I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question so — in such a horrible manner, the first question. You don’t even say, hello, how are you?”
ABC's Rachel Scott opens her interview with President Trump at the NABJ conference by calling him a racist for criticizing black politicians and journalists.
Trump gives a masterful response while also mentioning how he showed up while Kamala Harris did not. pic.twitter.com/AeMGH0D87I
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 31, 2024
Trump added, “For you to start off a question-and-answer period, especially when you’re 35 minutes late because you couldn’t get your equipment to work in such a hostile manner, I think it’s a disgrace. I really do.”
Video of the exchange has since gone viral, with Republicans praising Trump for swiftly addressing the hostile line of questioning.
Scott did not seem concerned about Trump’s response and continued the conference with other pointed questions that exposed her lack of decorum and professionalism.
Scott’s aggressive approach was nowhere to be seen when she questioned Pelosi last week, despite Pelosi facing criticism for her controversial record on racial minorities.
Earlier this week, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., a black woman, questioned Pelosi’s odd reluctance to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, also a black woman.
Earlier this year, Pelosi berated pro-Palestinian protesters outside her California home, shouting, “Get out of my way! Go back to China where you came from!”
She was reportedly targeting the financier of Code Pink, the group behind the protests. A New York Times report has linked Code Pink to potential Chinese ties.
Nancy Pelosi absolutely LOSES it after pro-Palestinian protesters take over her driveway, trigger her into shouting match:
“GET OUT OF MY WAY! GO BACK TO CHINA WHERE YOU CAME FROM!”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 29, 2024
In 2019, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused Pelosi, then House Speaker, of “singling out” congresswomen of color in her criticism.
In her exchange with Pelosi, Scott did not address these allegations.
