In an unusual encounter, an Indian-American woman confronted White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer at a store and asked him repeatedly how it feels to be working for a "fascist", evoking a 'racist' response from the top Trump administration official.
Shree Chauhan, 33, posted a video of Saturday's encounter on Twitter, showing Spicer's reaction as she peppers him with questions that include, "How does it feel to work for a fascist?" and "How do you feel about destroying the country?".
Chauhan also asked Spicer about Russia and accused President Donald Trump of committing treason.
There have been claims of Russia's meddling in US elections with allegations being made that the Trump campaign had contacts with Russia in the run-up to the polls.
In the video that Chauhan put out on social media that has gone viral, Spicer is heard saying that the US is "such a great country that allows you to be here".
Chauhan described his remarks as racist.
"That is racism and it is an implied threat. Think about the sheer audacity of Mr Spicer to say that to my face with a smile, knowing that he is being recorded on video and the position of power he holds in our government," she said.
Chauhan described Spicer's response to her question as a threat to her citizenship.
"I am still stunned by the boldness of having my citizenship threatened on camera. I was not polite. But when does being impolite mean that I should be thrown out of the United States of America? The country I was born in, the country I was raised in, the country I love despite its flaws," she said.
Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference that the US is a free country and people have right to act how they want.
Also, Trump seemed to allude to the incident in a tweet.
"It is amazing how rude much of the media is to my very hard working representatives. Be nice, you will do much better!" he said.
However, Chauhan, who heads an education startup organisation that empowers parents to lead positive changes in schools and communities, is not a member of "the media".
According to Chauhan, she was in a local Apple store to get her iPhone fixed when she spotted Spicer.
"I realised what an enormous opportunity it was to get answers without the protections normally given to Mr. Spicer. I was honestly quite nervous and wanted to come up with more cogent questions but did not have time to do so," she wrote on a blog post in the Medium.
Chauhan said she has lived in Washington DC for about a decade and during this time she has met several VVIPs at public places, including pharmacy and grocery stores, but did not interact with them.
"However, given what Mr. Spicer and his boss are doing to this country, I do not believe they are entitled to these norms and customs. Donald Trump and his Klan are openly trampling on the rule of law, our Constitution and our democracy," she alleged.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)