Trump used a press briefing to air his frustration with the media, angrily shooting down questions from CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta and admonishing him for his interactions with White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. | AP Photo/Evan Vucci White House Trump to journalist: I'm not a racist. Your question is racist.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied having ever made racist remarks and accused a reporter who asked about his campaign trail rhetoric of posing a "racist question."

PBS "NewsHour" reporter Yamiche Alcindor asked the president on Wednesday about comments he made at a rally in October, where he labeled himself a nationalist. Alcindor pointed out that some interpreted the comment as embracing white nationalists, but Trump sharply turned the question back on her.


"I don't know why you'd say that. Such a racist question," Trump said.

Trump defended his comments at the rally, clarifying it was meant as a contrast to "globalists" who prioritize international interests over the United States.

"I love our country. I do," he continued. "You have nationalists. You have globalists. I also love the world. And I don't mind helping the world, but we have to straighten out our country first. We have a lot of problems. But to say that, what you say is so insulting to me, it's a very terrible thing you said."

When another reporter asked about the Trump's administration cutting funding at the Department of Homeland Security for efforts to combat white supremacy and homegrown terrorism, Trump replied: "I believe all hate is a problem."

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In another exchange, Yahoo! News reporter Hunter Walker asked Trump about reports that the president has used racist language behind closed doors, from calling a former Apprentice contestant "Uncle Tom" to using the n-word. Trump flatly denied ever using racist language to Walker before quickly moving on to another question.

But the question of racism in the Trump White House wouldn't go away as another reporter asked if the president regretted a campaign ad connecting Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States with an undocumented criminal convicted of killing law enforcement officers in California. The ad has been widely condemned as racist, and major networks including CNN, NBC and Fox News have either declined to air it or stopped airing it.

"Do I regret it? I'm surprised you asked that question. I do not," Trump said of the ad, which he also posted to his Twitter account.

Although he has repeatedly denied using racist language, Trump has repeatedly called Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), "Pocahontas," a reference to the lawmaker's claims that she has some American Indian ancestry. The nickname has been panned by several American Indian organizations as a racist slur, though White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has denied it is offensive.

During the briefing, Trump expressed difficulty understanding some reporters who spoke with accents. He immediately asked a Japanese reporter where he is from after hearing his voice, then told him to say hello to the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Trump used the briefing to air his frustration with the media, angrily shooting down questions from CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta and admonishing him for his interactions with Sanders.

"Such a hostile media," Trump said during the briefing. "It's so sad."