And my mother she was ahead of her time she was an activist she was on apology campus she toiled at Morgan State University for 42 and a half years until her death and. Baby so she believed in people and she believed in advancing causes and I didn't I don't know I guess that picked it up I don't I don't think I did but sometimes when you're in a setting it comes and just sits on you and it sat on me so with my dad in the evenings he would come home from work and he would sit down and watch Walter Cronkite like dead we'd listen to the local radio local news I'm like why do you always watch in the news I mean it was so much of a big thing in my home to watch the news but those 3 stations at the time remember there. And the white noise after Johnny Carson would go. And the flag would come up. I mean talk about their town and. My dad was watching knew so much is dead why you watch the news all the time and and I should have as a child run from the news when he said this but I just ran into it I think there were you watching as he said I want to know when the world comes to an end oh my God You don't sound that. Some want to find out. So. And I believe I believe now that I look back that's where the foundation was laid for me my mother was always into current events and she she knew what was happening you know I always knew about my history I was that kid you know you sit in the kitchen table and you have a peanut do you know how many uses There are of a peanut. George Washington Carver if we talk about blood Charles Drew and if you don't know about it Google it my mother used to tell me look it up you know when we had dictionary. Without the Internet Google Charles Drew You'd be surprised and fascinated you know and it would stop at a stoplight you know a black man made the stop and go hey mama you know and I guess I'm assuming she's my mother always taught me about excellence in our community I always knew was going on as we listen to the news and I don't know I just I grew up understanding life but I was never socially aware you know I went through college I was a d.j. In school as d.j. Any good where you go I was pretty good. This is a pariah and w. . Do it but you know I was like. You know I needed more I didn't read into it I don't have anything else to talk about doesn't. Like anymore but I had a yearning for news I wanted to get more information so I started venturing into producing a new show and I started into doing news. I remember my last d.j. Gate was the station in Baltimore used to be owned by James Brown Yes James Brown and it was owned by Dorothy Branson the late Dorothy Bronson and I remember and I just this is not for me and I had a yearning I didn't realize it for information that's where it started school my software year started really getting into news so you finish college and then when I was working for gospel radio station well while I was in school I was working various radio stations in my checks were bouncing and I was getting the the payroll checks were bouncing. And I was but I was getting experience and I worked at a gospel radio station and I was telemarketing at the same time my father never forget my father didn't want me to get in this business because one. We knew this black radio or black media you would make money they sent me to school so I could get off of their paycheck cause they wanted me to be independent they wanted me to be someone who was living a middle income dream through obtaining my college degree and he said April once in this business I want to prove I'm wrong I'm gonna prove I'm wrong and I did prove my dad wrong I worked hard I mean I went to Chattanooga Tennessee came back to d.c. Baltimore d.c. I mean I jumped around a little bit but I hone my skills and all throughout my my time at this station of that station I was a girl that always this is News and let me send it to the network I would always send little Stringer feeds and a u.r.l. Noticed me when I was in Baltimore and you are in is American Urban Radio Networks this the network that I'm working for Currently that has had me in that position for 21 years as a White House correspondent so I was in Baltimore and they. Saw the news stories that I was doing and they liked it and then were really sparked their interest in me it was in the early ninety's and you all may remember this when the in the early c.p. Was having its big problems with then President Ben Chavis and I made a report I went against everyone else and that's what I like to do I like to break the news make sure it's factual and then break it and I said it's not about if you will go away how he would go and when he would go and acknowledge any kind of and I am sure not that week and he was gone so I broke that and they said we got to bring her over so I was green very green the White House. That place where each will last I mean this was before the Trump air I didn't know it when eat you alive you I mean if you don't. No you well know you have it it's kind of a thing where you're grandfathered in and maybe in the new kid on the block from Baltimore I mean I did city halls state capital and stuff like that and did the Washington scene from afar and I was also working on the local. In Washington the local news station being a news anchor but nothing prepared me for this so let's go then right to White House briefings 1st just tell us I mean I think we can imagine but tell us the difference between attending a White House briefing in the Obama administration and attending it in the trumpet ministry. Ok one and there was a report today that there was only one press briefing for the month of September that wouldn't have happened in the Obama years it wouldn't have happened in the Bush years and it wouldn't happen in the Clinton years so that's going to be some extra president. But what's different is you said we would time the briefings and those briefings were last about an hour 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes you know. Now it's like we're lucky if we get 12 minutes after she gives her opening statement. She in the room. I'm so I'm not being disrespectful when I say she sees if there are to be standards . But here is here is here's what's interesting is well she strategic in who she picks. She strategic Obama was not they did they wish strategic but they called on a lot of different there are Huckabee Sanders the press secretary she. Likes to make sure that the conservative press is called on quite a bit friendlier questions or those that are not that they don't perceive as more hostile I don't know what's hostile if it's something Ok let me to use so doing. During the Clinton years during the Bush years and doing the Obama years even when they were going through the hardest times they knew that tough questions about the issues of the day were coming they were prepared they answered them they may have cut you off someone else but someone else can pick up this it ministration they won't focus in they make sure they'll they might hit it once and move on and maybe some other people might continue but they don't like it and she gets very defensive and she'll move off of it he'll shut it down watch how they shut down the briefings when they shut it down you know when it starts getting hot you know it's can read in. And you can see it with this present they do not like the questions that put them up against a wall or the hot topic of the day that they have not figured out the spin on as of yet so I hate to say that because the truth so can you can you give us a sense your April Ryan you walk into the press briefing room and there hasn't come out yet. What are you thinking Are you fearful are you. Who know . I know now in this moment she's not calling me but I still raise my hand I'll go Sarah. She doesn't call and not right now no she doesn't like me and it's Ok if she doesn't like me I mean is going. But I'm Ok with that I haven't done anything wrong I have asked questions like anyone else in that room but I am now singled out why well let's get to this right now I want to talk about. The question what which one you ask. You asked him a question that no one in the press has ever asked a President do you know what question I'm talking about now so. But so what was the question What was the answer there was no answer for that moment what was the question us before we get into the state almost at the state it's a very sad day when a reporter has asked a president of the United States of America. If you are racist. And every time I mean I still this is this book is this right in this book and it happened in January and it's you know me to this day and I'm explaining why. And I told you you know my beginnings and I also come from that family who had the picture of King and Kennedy that's not about my politics I was about my parents politics but I still grew up understanding the so many of us stand on the shoulders of those great men if it weren't for Dr King I would be in that room probably really truthfully so let me let me set the stage so you know my beat. I cover everything I ask questions about all things I asked about Russia when Sean told me stop shaking my head. God bless him. But that wood is interesting is that I ask questions about my focus is on urban America this is urban America San Francisco is urban America you know no matter what color we are I hearing this stuff particularly in the community in 3 leaders will always be so when he's wild when he's saying he's a racist just before that King moment events in the Roosevelt Room at the White House White congressional leaders were leaving the meeting with the president on immigration where the present was supposed be giving his heart it was about his heart so. So then not long before that was Charlottesville comments about slavery and the confederacy it was percolating you know you were doing things with the blacks have to lose that was in the campaign all of this stuff built up. Frederica Wilson was Sergeant Liddy Johnson stuff was building and people were saying in the net was just and then just before that he would talk him out of the jury and if they leave their hurts they don't come he and I want to go back remember that I'm not making this up so you have black leaders and White leaves both series and I'm on now words mean something you have to be careful and how you label someone and what you say about someone because there can stain them or even worse so I said let me call the in the police the the leaders of the in the blade c.p. And I asked them I said What's the definition of a racist because before you go out and do a story you have to research it you have to talk to leaders about it I don't just sit there and ask something outside my neck and I'll maybe think I do but it's like it's already researched so I was told is so simple the definition of a racist is the intersection or the meeting of power and Prejudice say it again the definition of a racist is the intersection or meeting of power and prejudice is Ok so we often racists. I was a night before so I had not made a firm decision if I was going to ask the question because that day was so heavy to me Dr King means the world to me I was a kid in Baltimore who I was a lefty child lefty if you don't know about it Google it. I succumb home after school walking home in my little Catholic school uniform I was one of those big campus school girls and the Southern Baptist below Catholic school girl. I would walk home and go home and I'm one of those weird kids I would I wasn't supposed to go out to my parents got all stayed. House but i would you know what I would do I go to that component set that looked like a cough and not the components of those a stereos room but also a little like a coffee sly as a family. I would go through my mother's 45 and 30 three's and 75 as and put on the records Dr King I Have a Dream speech his I've been to the mountaintop speech I was a kid who was at that was weird I should've been watching something else on t.v. Or doing homework I was listening to Dr King and reading his speech I mean I felt it as a child so he meant a lot to me so I ended there that day trying to figure out a mother to ask the question should I shouldn't and I didn't make the determination until I delivered it that I was going because it weighed on me so much and then after I asked the question twice and asked Mr President to answer any question he didn't answer and I mean I felt the weight of the moment I felt the weight of what I'd done I felt the weight of my history I felt ashamed because I'm Our Dr King's day because the president was there with Dr King's niece and nephew not the children and black Republicans to celebrate this. This man this the streamer who's now he was a March a who's now Martin to celebrate the fact that they were expanding the land around the King Center and here I come messin it up that still bothers me Do you regret that no question I called m.l.k. Martin Luther King the 3rd and asked him I spoke 1st I want to apologize to you he said for what because I have peace and on and you did the right thing. And it still bothers me because again you should never have to ask a sitting u.s. President piece of racist and then on that day. I didn't realize how big the question was and we get I did not know I mean deployed to pull myself away from tea because I was so upset and I just live my life and because it's not only dead I mean I had a pastor Darrell Scott. He was going to throw water on me you're right about that and yeah in that room after I asked the question and other reporters were around Yeah so let me ask you this I'm going to read from your book and this is after the question that as a reporter you write I have been lied about and talked about all with an effort to discredit me I've been harshly criticized by some and applauded by others and then a little further in a book you write it's a job i love i do love is just. How do you love a job where you are seemingly You have become the story as I get emotional right now talking about that and I and it still bothers me that and realize you don't sometimes you don't when you face it you feel it but I this is what I studied for this is my vocation I didn't know all this other stuff was going to happen but I love this job and I'm not going to let anyone down my dream my mother and father's dream for me my community's dream and those shoulders that I stand or I will not I love this job because I'm asking a question I've got a no no no I'm not going anywhere I love my job. I don't have to tell you all that when April comes on and she's on c.n.n. For example so as we see that she's going to start yelling at how he doesn't want to see him watch this you know court so let's go to a lighter subject have you read all Moross know. Almost who. Says not me I mumble what I. Know and I will not and why is that Lord have mercy. On your books you write about your interactions with well let's talk about why write my inner interactions with them Rosa imo Rose is the reason why all of this stuff happened she started it even though she's bad the residue still is there. In that I don't touch on it I don't the book is not about her right I don't have a tape. And Ass Still I'm a bestseller. So forgive me but I'm Rosa now we're friends we were close I loved a like a sister. I'm like no no oh yeah oh no this is but t v. Little did I know. She heard me and we were backstage and it today and it's crazy today I was looking you know when you're on a plane. Flight and years I'm trying to figure out you know I was going on what do you know look into my phone and I look at my pictures cell and I go back in time today was the 1st day I went back in town my pages with her and it brought a tear to my clothes and I showed you some of the pages. Our families knew each other and went her church she took me to skid row with the minister and in this person who is this I'm like so in my take you finally get in her way so you get in her way apparently. The say it we can leave it at that it's you know I'll talk about I think it's authority. He did out and brief. Now so what happened was we were friends but their friendship I mean she said she was in it is not a myth is not a not conjecture she worked for Bill Clinton she was an Al Gore's office when Al Gore wanted me to interview him he would tell her to call me and that's how we started and bet then you know we were both young you know 20 years I was 21 I'm 51 now whatever dad do the men are still young now thank you. So you know we became friendly and then after she left I got fired or moved up failed up or whatever at the White House you know we'd run into each other it's the truth we've run into each other around the country and you know she peed somewhere and I'd be someone like me plus this you know get together and we got closer much closer over the years and but then Long story short when she became. Part of the Trump campaign I became a target the president did not like the press oh someone close oh I've got to do you know the press corps Oh I can get her and make them think that I am in this camp make them except me. As well a friend would do so she I was in Wiki Leaks and I'm not married I'll get a can talk about me and with that ad think it's a badge of honor that I'm in Wiki Leaks And the reason why I say that is because any reporter in Washington worth their pen and pad their microphone a video camera. Should have been a Wiki Leaks And I say that because John Podesta I've known him for a long time and I was asking John Podesta Why is emailed him why is it that Hillary Clinton is not doing so well in the black community I said we should have black reporters come together with her and so I sat with Wiki Leaks I did see the back and forth exchange with Karen Finney in wrestling Oh a pose wrong it's not that bad at home. Able was right. But what would you leave doesn't tell you is that I was calling Donald Trump people was calling his secretary a Trump Tower trying to get an interview I was asking Amorosa they don't tell you that I was talking to Ben Carson's people and I'll tell you I was talking to Cruz people are just Bush's people they don't tell you I was also talking to 2 Bernie Sanders people that's what they don't tell you but it's all one sided i'm And so I'm supporting Hillary and I'm trying to do all this some like whatever so then in her warped way of trying to make people think that I've done something wrong to cut our friendship off she tells people I'm taking money from Hillary Clinton. Yes that will kill a career. I've worked hard my parents sacrificed for me and they're gonna glory and I would do them a disservice if our fallen under that trap so I talk about it in the book but she all of this was in efforts for her to look good in this strumpet ministration So when it comes to reading her book No thank you. When it comes to her tapes those a tape but like she take me she takes the portion that she wants you to hear. Put it in context and consider the source. You write in your book and I quote this White House wants to control the browning of America yes Michael what do you mean Michael Steele the former are. The chairman even said that we are a nation that at one time used to be proud of talking about Lady Liberty how people came you know we use always here we're nation of immigrants No We're nation of natives slaves and immigrants but the immigrant thing was really the prideful thing that everyone took to Lady Liberty bring me your tired your hungry and how everyone would come through New York and see Lady Liberty standing there in the harbor now it's like it's shameful for some and when you hear people talk about a Muslim band who they thought about when they were talking about could not these visas you know and they got into this thing about you know we don't want these immigrants coming on welfare so wait a minute I