People across the nation took to the streets to celebrate Democratic candidate Joe Biden being announced the 46th President of the United States, and News 12 New Jersey journalist Alex Zdan was reporting live from one of the outdoor gatherings when he was interrupted by a Donald Trump supporter walking by.
When an elderly man wearing a Trump face masks appears on camera, Zdan turns around says, “How you doin’ man?” In response, the Trump supporter says, “Is this real news or fake news?”
People on Twitter and TikTok who saw the video clip believed Zdan responded by saying, “F*** off,” which caused the clip to quickly go viral.
Make this man the host of Meet the Press.
Political journalist Brian Tyler Cohen tweeted the video, saying, “Make this man the host of Meet the Press.” Actor Patton Oswalt retweeted the video and said, “Gonna watch this on loop.”
Within an hour of being posted on Twitter, the video garnered nearly 1 million views. Zdan later tweeted to clarify that he had told the man to “buzz off,” and did not use an expletive. He tweeted, “So THAT’S what it’s like to go viral…Look I appreciate the social media love, but I told the guy behind me to BUZZ off when he interrupted me live on
@news12 But please respect members of the press who are doing their jobs, and telling your stories. @RexChapman @News12NJ.”
Who Is Alex Zdan?
The evil act that was done behind this door in 1982…and how it lives on today. Tonight @ChasingTheNews.
While New Jersey locals know Zdan’s name, viewers of the viral video in other states were seeing his reporting for the first time. Zdan attended James Madison University and studied journalism at The College of New Jersey, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Getting ready for our first live update of #ElectionNight on @News12NJ…join us for continuous coverage starting at 8 pm. #Decision2020
Zdan started out as an investigative reporter for Chasing News, based in Trenton, New Jersey. Three years later, he switched outlets and continued working as an investigative journalist for Insider NJ. In 2017, Zdan started his job for News 12 New Jersey, where he continues to work today as a politics reporter.
Trump’s Continous Use of the Term ‘Fake News’ Has Been Frustrating for Journalists
Trump rips into CNN and Jim @Acosta after Acosta asks him about people who “are upset with you over the way you down played this crisis over the past couple of months”: “Instead of asking a nasty, snarky question like that, you should ask a real question.”
Zdan was championed on Twitter for his response to the trolling Trump supporter. While using obscenities on live TV is generally considered inappropriate, the past four years have been exhausting for journalists as Trump has continuously dubbed their factual reporting “fake news.”
“Fake news” has been one of Trump’s favorite terms to use during speeches throughout his presidency. He has regularly referred to mainstream media outlets such as CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post as “fake news” and verbally attacked reporters numerous times for asking difficult questions during his press briefings.
During one of the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings in March, Trump criticized CNN anchor Jim Acosta, who had asked about Trump’s downplaying of the coronavirus earlier that month and the negative effects that might’ve had on the nation.
Trump told Acosta, “It’s people like you and CNN who say things like that. It’s why people just don’t want to listen to CNN anymore. … Instead of asking a nasty, snarky question like that, you should ask a real question.”
Trump told Acosta that he “could cause panic much more than even you. I could make you look like a minor league player. … I could cause panic. But I don’t want to do that.”
In response, Trump’s 2016 campaign surrogate David Wohl tweeted, “King of FAKE NEWS @acosta and his horrible network @CNN get body-slammed by Trump after little Jim blurts out yet another stunningly stupid question.”
READ NEXT: WATCH: Trump Golfs While Biden Is Officially Announced as President