US President Donald Trump lost his temper with a reporter during a live broadcast, warning him to "be careful" during an exchange in the Oval Office. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 20, as Trump spoke to the press to announce a new $25 million program to incentivise Americans to report fraud.
Live Broadcast Sparks Confrontation
The scenes were broadcast live on Trump TV: The Essentials Station, the 24/7 digital streaming platform launched by the White House on September 21. This came after Trump, 80, banned several major news organisations, including CNN, MSNBC/MS Now, and Politico, from the White House, leading to a broader suspension of traditional television pool coverage by major networks.
Andrew Feinberg, the White House correspondent for The Independent, jumped in with a question. He asked how the fraud announcement would differ from past federal incentives offered to citizens who expose fraud, and the president instantly became triggered.
President's Outburst and Aftermath
Raising his voice and pointing his finger directly at Feinberg, he blasted him: "Listen to you. Hey, I'm not pointing. You better, you better, I don't know who the hell you are, but you better be careful."
"What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there's something wrong with you."
Attempts at damage limitation by the president's communications teams after the footage went viral only added fuel to the fire as they chose to insult Feinberg. The White House's rapid response account slammed him as a "Mongoloid moron" after his "disgraceful behavior."
For his part, Feinberg responded in the Daily Mail, simply saying: "Sticks and stones, I'm just doing my job."
Vice President Joins Criticism
Trump's Vice President also took an online swing at Feinberg on his X account, writing: "President Donald J. Trump eviscerates imbecile 'journalist' Andrew Feinberg for misbehaving in the Oval Office."
This led Feinberg to respond: "Mr. Vice President, if you're going to insult me, at least have the guts to tag my account."
Trump has a history of lashing out at the media. In September this year, he lost it during a press interview after a simple question from a female reporter, as he furiously moved closer to her face and raged: "Not you."
ABC's Rachel Scott simply asked the politician about the $5,000 (£3,700) cheques he promised to every American adult if Republicans win the midterm elections. During the live broadcast, she probed: "If your economic policies are working, why do you need an incentive for people to turn out to vote?"
Trump stated: "I didn't do it for turning out the vote, I did it as a reward for people having to put up with five years and four years of horrible, a horrible situation caused by [Joe] Biden."
Avoiding a straightforward response, he followed up with a string of criticism of the former president before the reporter tried to follow up by asking about the tariff refund checks Trump had promised Americans but never delivered. Instead, he cut her off and snapped: "Not you!" Trump, instantly angered, then crouched to her level, got close to her face and fumed: "Hey, not you."
The footage emerged as he was flying out of Dallas after the two-day Republican midterm convention.
