Actually, Tapper didn't quite get to form a question. Trump interjected to talk about Clinton's emails. So Tapper tried to steer the conversation back to whether Trump's complaint about US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel was racist. Trump deflected again. Tapper tried again. And again.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper interviews US President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Credit:CNN

In all, Tapper made an astounding 23 follow-up attempts.

Tapper's relentlessness ultimately paid off. He finally got a straight answer out of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Tapper: "If you are saying he cannot do his job because of his race, is that not the definition of racism?"