Donald Trump lashed out at a journalist in the Oval Office on Tuesday, demanding silence and then asking whether the man was a “sick person.” Vice President JD Vance later ridiculed the reporter on X, and the reporter hit back.
Donald Trump snaps at journalist at the Oval Office
Donald Trump was taking questions beside JD Vance at an event launching a whistleblower programme. The scheme pays up to $30,000 for tips about suspected fraud. Andrew Feinberg of The Independent tried to ask about planned changes to East Potomac Park, including a new golf course.
However, he got only as far as “On the golf course, sir, you own a lot of golf cour—” before Trump cut across him. “Quiet, quiet,” the president said, repeating the order. Then he changed tack: “What’s wrong with you? Are you a sick person?”
“Not that I know of, sir,” Feinberg replied. Trump wasn’t finished. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but you better be careful,” he said. In a report published the same day, Feinberg noted that his annual physical had gone well recently. He also defended how he behaved in the room, saying he “was doing my job, and I’ll be right back at it tomorrow.”
Then, Vance posted a video of the clash on X with a caption that made a jab at Feinberg. “President Donald J. Trump eviscerates imbecile ‘journalist’ Andrew Feinberg for misbehaving in the Oval Office,” he wrote. Feinberg answered in the replies, pointing out that Vance had not tagged him. “If you’re going to insult me at least have the guts to tag my account,” he wrote.
Trump has had contentious exchanges with reporters throughout both of his terms, and unwelcome questions have reportedly often provoked him. Last month he shouted at CNN host Kaitlan Collins after seeing her at the UN General Assembly. His administration was then trying to keep CNN out of the White House press pool. A federal judge has since stopped the administration from barring CNN, Politico, and MS NOW.
