Stephanie Grisham, who recently replaced Sarah Sanders as press secretary, was allegedly left “bruised” after she clashed with North Korean security blocking the White House press pool from viewing US President Donald Trump’s symbolic handshake with Kim Jong-un. In a shocking video from YTN, Ms Grisham barged her way past a group of North Korean security officials in order to allow the press to view the historic moment.
Reporter Jennifer Jacobs, who was in attendance to watch the handshake, wrote on Twitter: “A SURREAL, CHAOTIC DMZ SCENE via live TV feed: AP photog Susie Walsh yelling for Asian press to get out of historic shot, Tucker Carlson calmly videotaping, WH wrangler Hannah Salem running around, KJU cracking up, Trump trying to look dignified, relieved Kim didn’t stand him up.
“To add to madcap day at DMZ, the North Korean security was a little overzealous, at times trying to block US reporters’ view.
“New WH press secretary Stephanie Grisham threw herself into it to make sure the US TV camera got into House of Freedom, and it came to body blows.”
CNN’s Jim Acosta also wrote: “New WH Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham got into a scuffle with the North Koreans to move members of the WH press pool into position to cover Trump and Kim, I’m told.
READ MORE: Donald Trump steps into North Korea for handshake with Kim – first US President to do so
“Grisham was a bit bruised. Source called it “an all out brawl.”
Mr Trump and Mr Kim shook hands on Sunday at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) which divides North and South Korea.
The US President then crossed into North Korea in a historic moment, taking about 10 steps into the country before turning back.
They were then joined by South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in.
Mr Trump said it felt “great” to be the first US leader to step into North Korea and hailed his friendship with Mr Kim.
Speaking at the press conference with Mr Kim, the US President said: “This was a special moment, this is I think really – as President Moon said – this is a historic moment, the fact that we’re meeting.
“I want to thank Chairman Kim for something else. When I put out the social media notification, if he didn’t show up the press was going to make me look very bad, so you made us both look good and I appreciate it.
“But we developed a great relationship, I really think that if you go back two and a half years and you look at what was going on prior to my becoming president, it was a very very bad situation, a very dangerous situation for South Korea, for North Korea, for the world.”
He added that stalled talks between the two nations to strike a nuclear deal would resume within weeks.
Earlier this year, the two leaders met in Vietnam following their first Singapore summit in 2018, but the discussions broke down without an agreement.