Abby Phillip, the CNN reporter President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE last week said asked a "stupid" question, said in an interview published Tuesday that there's "no such thing as a stupid question" when covering the White House.

"There's no such thing as a stupid question when you're doing this, because you have to be really creative about how you ask presidents questions. Everyone at CNN knows that," Phillip told Elle.com.

"And, you know what, I'm not concerned whether he thinks it's smart or stupid ... because he could've just answered the question or dodged the question. He chose to not do either of those things," she added.

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Trump, while speaking with reporters outside the White House last week, made the comment after Phillip asked if Trump's new acting attorney general would "rein in" special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's investigation.

"What a stupid question that is," Trump said. "What a stupid question."

"But I watch you a lot," he added. "You ask a lot of stupid questions."

Phillip's question came after Trump appointed Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general following the forced resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status MORE.

Whitaker has previously criticized the Mueller investigation, including once saying that the investigation had gone "too far."

President Trump: "What a stupid question that is." pic.twitter.com/W0xR292vfC — CSPAN (@cspan) November 9, 2018

Phillip also told Elle.com that she felt comfortable with the question she asked Trump after reviewing video of the interaction, saying that she "had a very even tone."

"The fact that he had that reaction let me know I was on the right path. It probably wasn't a stupid question, because then it would've been really easy for him to answer," Phillip added.

Trump faced criticism after attacking Phillip over her question, which marked the third time that week that he criticized or clashed with a black female reporter. During a news conference on Wednesday, Trump told several reporters, including April Ryan of the National Urban Radio Network, to "sit down" as she tried asking a question and dismissed a question from Yamiche Alcindor of PBS Newshour as "racist."