April Ryan on Asking if Trump Will Step Down: ‘I’ve Been Getting Death Threats and We’ve Been Calling the FBI’

BLITZER: "April, yesterday at the White House press with Sarah Sanders, you had this exchange, you asked a question, this is her answer. It’s received a lot of buzz. I’m going to play the clip."
[clip starts]
RYAN: "Has the president at any time thought about stepping down before or now?"
HUCKABEE SANDERS: "No, and I think that’s an absolutely ridiculous question."
RYAN: "It’s not ridiculous."
HUCKABEE SANDERS: "I gave you two questions April.  We’re moving on. Jordan, go ahead."
RYAN: "It’s not ridiculous."
[clip ends]
BLITZER: "So we heard you say, it’s not ridiculous. So what, A, prompted you to ask that question, and what’s been the reaction?"
RYAN: "What prompted me? As we all do have sources, we talk to people and when you have turmoil or conflicts constantly coming up, or making major decisions where people are investigating you, there is always a scenario at the White House where there is plan A, B, C, D, or E, what have you, and it’s been on the table. The issue is -- and it’s been on the table from what I’m hearing from my sources a while ago,  that was one of the possibilities. So I asked that question, in the midst of the fact that the president’s personal attorney had his properties raided to get information from a search warrant about what is going on with Stormy Daniels and others and the trail of money. And this right now is a very tough time for the president. He’s kind of backed in a corner because if he does pull the gun on certain things, it looks like he’s creating a constitutional crisis or he could be obstructing justice. And this is the situation where you have seen those questions asked during the Bill Clinton impeachment proceedings. You were there, you were there. We’ve seen this. We heard of the history of Watergate. You know, Republicans came to Nixon and said "hey, either you resign or we go through impeachment proceedings." That is not illogical, irrational. It is a real question on the table that a White House does not want to deal with, because they’re trying to craft the picture, the winning image, and there is no winning picture at this moment."
BLITZER: "So what’s been the reaction that you’ve received since asking that question?"
RYAN: "The reaction has been very -- there are people who support — I mean, the reason I asked the question was not about Democrat or Republican. It was not a partisan thing. It was a reporter asking a question. But people have gone into their tribes and some are saying it was a great question -- mostly people who do not support this president. And those who support this president are outraged, angry. I’ve been getting death threats and we’ve been calling the FBI. I put one on social media. And this is real. I asked a simple question. I asked a question, I did not point a finger, I asked a question, and now my life is in jeopardy because of a question. But I’m going to continue to do my job."
BLIZTER: "I know you are. I hope everything is going to be all right."
RYAN: "It will be."