The president continues to struggle to treat women who cover the White House with any modicum of respect.
After a brief rant about his interest in beautification, Trump shifted his focus from the issue at hand to the journalist who dared to ask why he’s so invested in diversions.
ABC: "Against the backdrop of the war in Iran, why focus on all these projects right now when we're seeing gas prices soar?"
Trump: "Because I want to keep out country beautiful and safe…It's such a stupid question that you asked…A question like that is a disgrace to our country."
— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2026-05-08T02:42:28.306Z
“It’s such a stupid question that you asked,” the Republican whined before suggesting that Scott might “understand dirt” better than he does. Trump said he considers Scott to be “one of the worst reporters” and a “horror show,” before adding he also considers ABC to be “fake.”....
The problem isn’t exactly new. Last fall, there were a series of stunning incidents that made the problem painfully clear:
Nov. 14: En route to Florida for one of his many golfing weekends, Trump fielded a few questions from reporters on Air Force One. When a Bloomberg journalist took the opportunity to ask about one of the Jeffrey Epstein emails, the president snapped, “Quiet, piggy.”
Nov. 18: When Mary Bruce, ABC News’ chief White House correspondent, asked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump whined that the reporter’s question might “embarrass” his “guest,” seemingly unaware of the fact that it’s not the job of the press to protect the feelings of foreign authoritarians. Trump went on to describe the question as “insubordinate,” as though the journalists were somehow employees of the Saudi royal family or the White House, before telling Bruce she’s “terrible.”
Nov. 26: When The New York Times ran an article about the president’s stamina, Trump published an online tantrum that concluded with the Republican saying the reporter who wrote the article “is ugly, both inside and out.”
Nov. 27: Trump told a reporter she was “a stupid person” for asking a question he didn’t like about his asylum policies.
Dec. 6: The president slammed CNN’s Kaitlan Collins as “stupid and nasty.”
As 2026 got underway, the problem only intensified. In February, he complained during an Oval Office event that Collins doesn’t smile more. A month later, he lashed out at the Times’ Maggie Haberman, calling her “Maggot Hagerman” and a “sleazebag.” The month after that, Trump called Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov “one of the least attractive” people on television, saying,
“Her voice is so grating and terrible, I had to ‘turn her off!’”
The president, in other words, remains exactly who he appears to be
. He’s the man in the E. Jean Carroll case. He’s the one on the “Access Hollywood” recording. He’s the Republican who suggested some of the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct weren’t attractive enough to assault. He’s the politician who vowed to “protect” women, “whether the women like it or not.”
And when it comes to the women who cover the White House, he’s also the one who struggles to treat media professionals with any shred of professionalism.
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