‘Don’t ever talk to the president that way’: Trump takes gloves off and demands respect for his position

"Don't talk to me that way. You're just a lightweight. I'm the president of the United States. Don't ever talk to the president that way," Trump rebuked Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason over his tone on Thursday.

At the outset of the fiery dialogue, Trump acknowledged that it would be a "very hard thing to concede" to Biden "because we know there was massive fraud," but he noted he would leave the Oval Office in January if the Electoral College voted for the Democratic challenger on Dec. 14 and formalized the victory.

After Trump talked to troops around the world—one of his Thanksgiving traditions—the heated exchange at the White House briefing ignited when Mason pressed: "Sir, just to be clear, if the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden, will you concede?"

"Well, if they do, they made a mistake, because this election was a fraud, just so you understand," the president fired back, citing Biden’s numbers reportedly beating former President Barack Obama's turnout in swing states.

"And yet he’s losing to Obama all over the place," Trump added.

Mason continued to interject, but Trump talked over the correspondent. "So no, I can't say that at all. I think it's a possibility. They tried to—Look, between you people," Trump continued before Mason's question grew louder.

Then Trump called on another reporter to diffuse the tension. "So if the Electoral College does elect President-Elect Joe Biden, are you not going to leave this building?" the responding reporter volleyed.

"Certainly I will. Certainly I will, and you know that," Trump calmly stated at the interaction’s conclusion. "But I think that there will be a lot of things happening between now and the 20th of January, a lot of things."

CNN's chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper called Mason an "excellent journalist" who is "on the other end of this spectacle" and emphasized that he will still be working at the White House after Inauguration Day.