The White House on Wednesday took a swipe at Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE, suggesting the Republican presidential front-runner can’t handle tough questions about his views on immigration.



Press secretary Josh Earnest weighed in on Trump’s decision late Tuesday to eject Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos from a press conference. Ramos had interrupted Trump with a question about deportations.

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“I’m not sure that it’s a successful media strategy to physically remove reporters who are asking tough questions,” Earnest told reporters at the White House.



Turning to a group of press aides, Earnest joked he would need a larger security detail if he followed Trump’s example, “although they are tougher than they look.”



Trump's exchange with Ramos is the latest example of how the businessman's position on immigration is roiling the race for the Republican presidential nomination.



Earnest said the campaign rhetoric coming from GOP candidates is “alarming.”



“There is no denying the kind of rhetoric that we’ve seen when it comes to immigration policy is alarming to a lot of people,” he said. “I don’t think it reflects the values that are shared by a vast majority of the American public.”



After Ramos repeatedly tried to ask Trump a question in Iowa on Tuesday, Trump told him to "go back to Univision."



Moments later, a security guard escorted Ramos out of the room. He was later allowed to return to ask a question.



Ramos, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Mexico, told CNN he finds Trump's views on immigration offensive.



“This is very important to the Hispanic community,” he said in an interview Wednesday. “This is also personal."