During a joint press conference on Friday with U.K. prime minister Theresa May, President Donald Trump refused to take a question from CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta in a testy exchange with a frequent adversary of his White House.

The drama unfolded as follows:

Trump bristled at a question from NBC News reporter Kristen Welker.

Welker asked him whether his widely reported criticism of May, and his barbs aimed earlier in the week at NATO allies, served to give Russian President Vladimir Putin the ‘upper hand’ ahead of Monday’s leader-to-leader summit.

She emphasized that Trump was ‘challenging these alliances that [Putin] seeks to break up and destroy.’

‘See, that’s such dishonest reporting,’ a dismissive Trump replied,’ because – of course, it happens to be NBC, which is possibly worse than CNN!’

Later, as Trump looked across a crowd of journalists with raised hands, deciding who to call on next, Jim Acosta of CNN loudly demanded a chance to participate in the press conference.

‘Mr. President, since you attacked CNN, can I ask you a question?’ he boomed, loud enough for microphones 10 yards away to pick up.

Trump said “no, no,” as Acosta tried to ask him a question.

“CNN is fake news, I don’t take questions- I don’t take questions from CNN,” Trump added. “CNN is fake news, I don’t take questions from CNN. John Roberts of Fox – let’s go to a real network.”

Instead of deferring to Acosta, Roberts thanked Trump for calling on him, and proceeded to ask a question.

Here is the statement from Fox News’s John Roberts, who was selected by Trump to ask a question after CNN’s Jim Acosta was dissed. pic.twitter.com/Wp4PDIP4xg

— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) July 13, 2018

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)