President Trump calls reporter ‘stupid’ during tense exchange
President Donald Trump called a reporter “stupid” when asked about the suspect in the Washington, D.C., shootings.
- President Donald Trump called a CBS News reporter a “stupid person” during a Thanksgiving press conference.
- The exchange came as a reporter questioned the Biden administration’s condemnation of the man who allegedly shot and killed a National Guard member from Afghanistan.
- In response to the incident, the Trump administration suspended some immigration applications and announced a review of asylum applications.
President Donald Trump called a reporter a “stupid person” during an exchange on Thanksgiving.
After speaking with military personnel, President Trump answered questions from reporters about the shooting of two National Guardsmen near the White House on November 26th. The suspect has been identified as an Afghan national who came to the United States in 2021, and the Department of Homeland Security announced it would review all approved asylum applications under the Biden administration.
“Why are you blaming the Biden administration when the Justice Department IG just reported that there was a thorough investigation by DHS and the FBI of Afghans brought to the United States this year?” CBS News’ Nancy Cordes asked Trump in Florida, saying the suspects had been vetted and were “innocent.”
“Are you an idiot for letting him in? Are you an idiot?” Trump responded. “Because they flew in with thousands of people who shouldn’t be here, and you’re just asking questions, because you’re an idiot.”
Exchange regarding DC shooting incident following ‘quiet pig’ comment
President Trump’s interactions with reporters have attracted particular attention since Trump told a reporter on Air Force One on November 14th that he was a “quiet piglet” when he asked follow-up questions about the Jeffrey Epstein file.
The alleged gunman in the National Guard shooting previously worked with the U.S. military and CIA-backed forces in Afghanistan. Rahmanullah Rakanwal, 29, came to the United States as part of Operation Allied Welcoming, a refugee program that evacuates vulnerable Afghans who cooperated with the U.S. military during the war.
One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, a US Army specialist, died on November 27th. The other victim was U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Sarah Beckstrom, 20. President Trump said Andrew Wolf, 24, remained in critical condition as of November 27.
Lakhanwal was shot shortly after the attack and remains hospitalized in critical condition. He is expected to be charged with first-degree murder after killing one of the victims, and the FBI is investigating the incident as an “act of terrorism.”
The Trump administration also announced that it would suspend admission applications for Afghan nationals and reevaluate green card holders from 19 countries deemed “high risk.”
Contributions: Thao Nguyen, Doyle Rice, Bart Jansen, Francesca Chambers, Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.
