Donald Trump trolled for berating White House reporter using notes to ask question: 'Reading upsets him'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump was trolled over social media for ridiculing White House correspondent Kate Sullivan as she referred to her notes while posing a question on Friday, February 21, reported Mediaite.

The exchange took place moments after the 78-year-old commander-in-chief participated in the ceremonial swearing-in of Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in the Oval Office.

Trump's interaction with Bloomberg reporter Kate Sullivan

While taking questions from reporters after the ceremony, Trump called out Bloomberg News representative Sullivan for engaging in the standard practice of referring to notes while raising an issue.

"We are reporting that you were signing a memo later to counter Digital Service taxes?" Sullivan inquired of the POTUS, to which he replied, "Well, will you speak–. I mean, what are you doing, reading it?"

As Sullivan acknowledged that she was indeed reading from her notes, Trump jibed, "Can’t you just say it without having to read it?"

The correspondent was well up for the challenge, saying, "Oh, sure. Bloomberg. We’re reporting that you’re expected to sign tariffs or a memo later on tariffs on digital taxes. Is there any idea how high you might go with those tariffs?"

"We are going to be doing that. Digital. What they’re doing to us in other countries is terrible with digital. So we’ll be announcing that," noted Trump, before confirming with an aide that he would be signing the memo on the same day.

Since taking office, the Trump administration has made headlines for cracking down on legacy media for not toeing its line. On February 14, the Associated Press was banned from covering from the White House and Air Force One, after it refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America after it was renamed by the POTUS.

Internet trolls Trump for deriding Bloomberg's White House correspondent

Netizens trolled Trump claiming that he was scared of reading in response to him mocking Sullivan in the White House. The following tweets demonstrate their takes.

"Reading upsets him," wrote a user.

"Nothing but an insecure bully. Always has been," shared another.

"Does Trump ever NOT USE a TELEPROMPTER," jibed a third.

"Donnie's just mad he can't read!" mocked a fourth.

"He has a problem with people reading!!! This explains it all lmao," chided a fifth.

"He obviously gets upset when people flaunt their literacy," quipped a sixth.

"Dude is losing his mind before our eyes," expressed a seventh. 

"Ask him why he reads off a teleprompter!" echoed yet another.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online