Former national security adviser Susan Rice is throwing her support behind a PBS NewsHour White House correspondent after Donald Trump told her to "be nice" during Sunday's press briefing on the coronavirus.

Rice responded to Yamiche Alcindor's tweet detailing the encounter with the president, saying Trump "can't stomach strong black women," according to HuffPost.

"President Trump today at the White House said to me: 'Be nice. Don't be threatening.' I'm not the first human being, woman, black person or journalist to be told that while doing a job. My take: Be steady. Stay focused. Remember your purpose. And, always press forward," Alcindor tweeted.

Rice retweeted the post, adding "You go girl."

You go, girl. Pathetic when insecure men can’t stomach strong black women. https://t.co/ExjC9z5p1J

— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) March 30, 2020

"Pathetic when insecure men can't stomach strong black women," Rice said.

During the briefing, Trump asked Alcindor: “Why don’t you people act… why don’t you act a little more positive, it’s always trying to get you, get you, get you. And you know what? That’s why nobody trusts the media anymore.”

"Be nice, don't be threatening, don't be threatening, be nice," Trump added.

Earlier in the exchange, Alcindor asked Trump about doubting governors' requests for 30,000 ventilators amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“You’ve said repeatedly that you think that some of the equipment that governors are requesting they don’t actually need. You said New York might not need 30,000 …” Alcindor said before being interrupted by the president.

“I didn’t say that,” Trump said.

However, according to HuffPost, Trump said that he suspected New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was exaggerating the number of ventilators needed.

“I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be,” Trump said during a call with Fox News' Sean Hannity. “I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go into major hospitals, sometimes they’ll have two ventilators, and now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”

At the beginning of March, during another encounter with Alcindor, Trump said her inquiry about his decision to dismantle the Nation Security Council's pandemic response unit was a "nasty question."

Twitter users have since rallied behind Alcindor, creating the hashtag #WeLoveYamiche.

Because even her gif is smarter than @realDonaldTrump. #WeLoveYamiche
pic.twitter.com/v672t8BEiy

— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) March 30, 2020

"Black women have had to develop a larger vision of our society than perhaps any other group… When Black women win victories, it is a boost for virtually every segment of society." ~Angela Davis #WeLoveYamiche
pic.twitter.com/nJ0IB1mM2b

— The Crisis Magazine (@thecrisismag) March 30, 2020

Thank you @Yamiche for doing your job as a journalist by holding Donald Trump accountable and asking him questions that many Americans want answers to — helping to cut through the lies during this #coronavirus crisis. #WeLoveYamiche

pic.twitter.com/ZHY3sOFM1U

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre) March 30, 2020

Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with Black women, specifically reporters.

In 2018, Trump referred to veteran reporter April Ryan as a loser and told her to sit down after she asked a question about voter suppression at a news conference at the White House.

Ryan later went on The View to share her thoughts about the incident, ABC News reported.

“You know what that question was… it was voter suppression and he responded 'Yea I got voter suppression' or something like that and so I stood up — I thought he was receiving my question and wanted to talk about it — and then when he sees me, he says ‘sit down’ you know, in a very terse tone. I was taken aback,” she said.

Black-Reporter

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