"This is the Netherlands, you have to answer questions!"

[DetlefK]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/01/10/trumps-ambassador-to-netherlands-was-asked-to-name-a-person-burned-because-of-islam-he-couldnt/?utm_term=.da8452fb2534

Peter Hoekstra, the newly minted U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, held his first press conference with the Dutch media at his new residence in the Hague on Wednesday.

It did not go well.

Dutch journalists peppered Hoekstra with questions on unsubstantiated claims he made in 2015 about the chaos the “Islamic movement” had brought to the Netherlands.

“There are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned,” he had said then, at a conference hosted by a conservative group. “And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands.”

...

“If you’re truly an honest and wise man, could you please take back the remark about burned politicians or name the politician that was burned in the Netherlands?” Geeraedts asked.

An uncomfortable silence followed the question.

“Thank you,” Hoekstra said, before trying to call on someone else over the clamor of the reporters in the room.

“Excuse me, I asked you a question,” Geeraedts said.

Another journalist jumped in.

“Mr. Ambassador, can you mention any example of a Dutch politician who was burned in recent years?”

Again, silence, as Hoekstra stared around the room.

“This is the Netherlands, you have to answer questions,” another reporter said.

Sherry Keneson-Hall, an embassy counselor who was helping run the news conference, pushed back, asserting that Hoekstra was answering the questions.

At least one more journalist fired the question off. Reporters had asked the question at least five times.

“We were all astonished that he didn’t want to take back the comment. It was simply untrue, so why not take it back?” Geeraedts said. “It was awkward, to be honest.”

[Irish_Dem]

1. Welcome to our world. :(

[samnsara]

2. i love Amsterdam! When we were there i witnessed...

...a drunken or mentally ill man...standing in front of the train station..surrounded by onlookers...slowly remove all his clothes and fold them up on the ground next to him. The police were there basically to break up the crowd and protect the man..i guess. Anyway this man disrobed then calmly dressed himself again and then they all dispersed. Not sure if the guy was taken into protective custody or not but NO violence..NO yelling by the crowd..... no threats by the cops..nothing to suggest this was going to escalate into anything more than this.

Can you imagine if this were to happen here?.......OH!! and the guy was black...NOW can you imagine what would happen here?

So Mr Ambassador.. I think you mistook The Netherlands for the US.

[LonePirate]

3. A representative of this administration not being honest with the press? Shocking!

[Mr. Ected]

4. The Dutch rejected Wilders back in March

Generally speaking, they won't put up with this bullshit.

[Fred Sanders]

5. Truth collides with lies and racism. Lies run away...but no Foxxx...what else to do?

[longship]

6. Hoekstra was fucking born in The Netherlands!!

So he should know better. Apparently it's his Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church upbringing that's speaking. Intolerant assholes.

[GETPLANING]

7. It is a rule among Republicans

Never admit being wrong, never admit to lying, never apologize, and never explain. And American commercial media has just accepted it.

[irisblue]

8. Hoekstra got used to the toothless reporters in West Michigan &

the obsequious ones in DC. I really hope the Dutch press keep on that a hole.

[RussBLib]

9. He probably won't give them the opportunity

Trump has appointed some real idiots. Ideologues. Idiots.

Yea! Drain the swamp!

[msongs]

10. compare this to the pack of cowards who attend white house press conferences lol nt

[Cha]

11. Good start Hoekstra.. you burned it.

[RandomAccess]

12. Ah so we have to ship them overseas in order for someone to

hold them accountable.

[eyeofnewt]

13. In his defense

Sarah Palin could have told him that it was a gotcha question. Those pesky journalists and their prying unfair questions