The White House has been hit with a storm of backlash after an official account posted a clip attacking a journalist with a racist and ableist slur. This came just hours after US President Donald Trump snapped at him in the press room and demanded: “Are you a sick person?”
Official Account Shares Video of Trump Clashing with Reporter
The row centres on an official “rapid response” (formerly Twitter) account, @RapidResponse47. The page shared a video of Trump clashing with Andrew Feinberg, The Independent’s White House correspondent, during a press event on Tuesday (October 20).
Feinberg questioned the President about a newly introduced government programme offering financial rewards for reporting fraud. Moreover, he pointed out that the existing False Claims Act already provides substantial incentives for whistleblowers.
Trump's Angry Reaction and Personal Attack
As a result, the reporter asked why a new initiative was needed. Trump consequently reacted angrily, telling Feinberg to be quiet and warning him to “be careful” before turning the exchange into a personal attack.
In the footage posted online, the President is heard saying: “What’s wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there’s something wrong with you.”
Soon after, the White House-linked account posted the clip with a caption that triggered immediate condemnation.
Controversial Caption and Criticism
The post read: “.@POTUS absolutely roasts Mongoloid Moron @AndrewFeinberg for his disgraceful behavior [sic]: ‘What’s wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there’s something wrong with you.’”
Critics said the language was beyond outrageous for any public figure, let alone an official government account, because the term has a long history as a demeaning label aimed at people with developmental disabilities. It was also used as an outdated racial category associated with East Asia. The timing also prompted fury, with some pointing out it landed during Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
The controversy grew as the Vice President’s official government account also weighed in, publicly labelling Feinberg an “imbecile”, according to reports. Feinberg later responded in a first-person article for The Independent, defending his right to do his job and hitting back at the personal jabs.
He wrote: “For the record, I had an annual physical earlier this month, and I can report I’m in perfect health.” He also condemned the administration’s behaviour and criticised the use of a developmental disability slur, saying he had become a target simply for asking a policy question.
Online Reaction and Fallout
Online, the post was met with a torrent of angry replies, as an X user wrote: “This is not some win like you think it is. Pretty pathetic to post on here because it makes Trump look like a total piece of s— crazy old man.”
Another person commented: “That is not roasting anybody.” Someone else penned: “I’m hardly surprised to see Trump’s WH use the word ‘[the slur]’ - ‘has two primary historical meanings, both of which are now considered obsolete, unscientific, or offensive’. Vile.”
A separate individual chimed in: “The guy in the Epstein files calling the guy who isn’t sick. That’s classic.”
