周四，唐纳德·特朗普总统似乎对乌克兰丑闻的质疑越来越失望，在记者质问总统与鲁迪·朱利安尼的助手列夫·帕纳斯的关系时，他一度厉声斥责美国有线电视新闻网白宫记者吉姆·阿科斯塔“保持沉默”。
特朗普在椭圆形办公室接受记者采访时，多次面临关于他与帕纳斯关系的问题。帕纳斯是一位苏联出生的商人，在向乌克兰施压调查特朗普的政治对手的运动中发挥了关键作用。
帕纳斯去年10月因竞选财务指控被起诉，他越来越直言不讳地将特朗普牵连到丑闻中，周三告诉美国有线电视新闻网的安德森·库珀，总统试图向乌克兰施压，要求其调查民主党总统候选人乔·拜登，“一切都是为了2020年”，而不是为了美国人民的利益。
当阿科斯塔问到帕纳斯的评论时，特朗普坚称他“甚至不知道这个人是谁”
“我不认识他。我不认识帕纳斯，除了，我想，我和成千上万的人拍了照片，”总统说。“但是，我一点也不了解他，不知道他在说什么，不知道他从哪里来，不知道他的任何事。”
特朗普说:“也许他是个好人，也许不是。”。“我对他一无所知。”
然而，阿科斯塔继续就此事打断总统，向他施压，要求他承认他不认识帕纳斯，这促使特朗普告诉记者保持“安静”
唐纳德·特朗普总统于2020年1月16日在华盛顿特区椭圆形办公室宣布公立学校宪法祈祷指南的活动中发表讲话。特朗普还面临着与商人列夫·帕纳斯(Lev Parnas)的关系问题，后者是特朗普私人律师鲁迪·朱利安尼的助手。
“你只需要看看民意测验，”阿科斯塔开始插话时，特朗普这样说道。“安静，”总统说，然后继续说:“你只要看看照片就行了。你只要看看民意测验，你就知道我不需要任何人的帮助。我们做得非常好。”
特朗普坚称:“我不需要一个我从未见过的人的帮助。”。
关于乌克兰丑闻本身，特朗普说:“我只能告诉你这是一个大骗局，一个大骗局。”
“这是当前的骗局，”总统继续说道。“我们通过了俄罗斯的政治迫害。我们经历了很多。”
虽然交流视频中看不到Acosta，但可以听到他的声音。
这位白宫记者后来在推特上发布了这一事件，写道:“刚刚问特朗普帕纳斯的情况，他声称乌克兰的行政努力‘都是关于2020年的’特朗普坚持说他只是和帕纳斯合影。不断重复辩护。最终告诉我要“安静”。"
阿科斯塔说，记者们“还试图询问乌克兰前大使玛丽·约瓦诺维奇的情况，以及是否有人试图恐吓或监视她。但是特朗普没有回答我们的问题。助手们大声叫我们离开椭圆形办公室。”
针对阿科斯塔的说法，前政府道德办公室主任沃尔特·肖布说，“记者们大喊大叫，感觉像是来自另一个国家。”
“这是对他们应该服务的公众不恰当的蔑视，”肖布说。“我想知道特朗普有没有感觉到，阻止他说傻话也会让他们看起来很疯狂。”
TRUMP SNAPS AT CNN'S JIM ACOSTA TO BE 'QUIET' AFTER HE GRILLS PRESIDENT ABOUT LEV PARNAS
President Donald Trump appeared to grow frustrated with questioning on the Ukraine scandal on Thursday, snapping at CNN White House Correspondent Jim Acosta to be "quiet" at one point as the journalist grilled the president on his ties to Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas.
Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump faced repeated questions on his ties to Parnas, a Soviet-born businessman who played a key role in the campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate Trump's political rivals.
Parnas, who was indicted in October on campaign finance charges, has become increasingly vocal in implicating Trump in the scandal, telling CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday that the president's bid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was "all about 2020," rather than about working in the interest of the American people.
Asked by Acosta about Parnas' comments, Trump maintained that he does not "even know who this man is."
"I don't know him. I don't know Parnas, other than, I guess, I had pictures taken, which I do with thousands of people," the president said. "But, I don't know him at all, don't know what he's about, don't know where he comes from, don't nothing about him."
"Perhaps he's a fine man, perhaps he's not," Trump said. "I know nothing about him."
Acosta continued to interrupt the president on the matter, however, pressing him on his claim that he did not know Parnas, prompting Trump to tell the reporter to be "quiet."
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office announcing guidance on constitutional prayer in public schools on January 16, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Trump also faced questions on his ties to businessman Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani
"You just have to take a look at the polls," Trump began as Acosta started to interject. "Quiet," the president said, before continuing: "You just have to take a look at the pictures. You just have to take a look at the polls, you see I don't need anybody's help. We're doing phenomenally well."
"I don't need the help of a man I've never met before," Trump maintained.
On the Ukraine scandal itself, Trump said: "I can only tell you this thing is a big hoax, it's a big hoax."
"This is the current hoax," the president continued. "We got through the Russian witch hunt. We've gone through a lot of them."
While Acosta cannot be seen in video of the exchange, his voice can be heard.
The White House correspondent later tweeted out about the incident, writing: "Just asked Trump about Parnas claim that admin efforts in Ukraine were 'all about 2020.' Trump insisted he's only posed for photos with Parnas. Kept repeating that defense. Eventually told me to be 'quiet'."
Acosta said journalists "also attempted to ask about former Ukrainian ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and whether there was an effort to intimidate or conduct surveillance on her. But Trump did not respond to our questions. And aides shouted at us to leave the Oval Office."
Responding to Acosta's claim, Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, said "this shouting reporters down feels like something from another country."
"It's an unseemly display of disdain for the public they are supposed to serve," Shaub said. "I wonder if Trump has any sense that it also makes them look frantic to prevent him from saying something foolish."
