Trump calls Kurdish journalist 'Mr. Kurd' during freewheeling press conference

Carlos Barria/Reuters

President Donald Trump professed his love for the Kurdish people during a marathon press conference on Wednesday.

• President Donald Trump on Wednesday referred to a Kurdish journalist as "Mr. Kurd" during a marathon press conference following the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 
• When a foreign reporter told the president he was Kurdish, Trump said, "Good. Good. Great people! Great fighters. I like 'em a lot."
• The Kurds have been key US allies in the fight against ISIS.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday referred to a Kurdish journalist as "Mr. Kurd" during a marathon press conference following the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

During the press conference, Trump professed his love for the Kurdish people, who've been key US allies in the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

"They fought and died with us," Trump said of the Kurds. 

The Kurds are indigenous to a mountainous region in the northern part of the Middle East and span across Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. They're the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East and the largest stateless nation in the world.

When a foreign reporter told the president he was Kurdish, Trump said, "Good. Good. Great people! Great fighters. I like 'em a lot."

Trump then asked other reporters in the room if they were Kurdish. Subsequently, the president referred to another reporter as "Mr. Kurd" as he answered his question. 

The president's comments on the Kurdish reporters in the room quickly went viral on social media. 

Trump addressed an array of topics during Wednesday's lengthy press conference, taking questions on everything from the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to his stance on the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine.