A question about a canceled campaign appearance quickly turned personal when Donald Trump confronted a reporter at Joint Base Andrews. Rather than keep the exchange focused on his rally, the president attacked the reporter’s appearance. Then, he abruptly ended the conversation.
Donald Trump body-shames reporter during rally cancellation question
Reuters White House correspondent Jacob Bogage asked Donald Trump whether his decision to skip a Kansas trip had anything to do with fatigue from weeks of campaigning ahead of the midterm elections. Bogage also called out a question about the president’s health. Trump responded by questioning the journalist’s motives and asking which outlet he represented (via The Daily Beast).
After Bogage identified Reuters, Trump criticized the news organization and turned his attention to the reporter’s weight. “Look at this guy. He’s way out of shape,” Trump said before telling him, “You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell.”
Trump stood by his decision to scrap the Kansas visit, arguing that Republican Sen. Roger Marshall was in a strong position. A CNN poll, however, painted a less reassuring picture for the senator, with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton holding a four-point lead among likely voters in Kansas and raising concerns about Marshall’s reelection bid.
The brief exchange lasted under two and a half minutes before Trump turned and left, even as reporters kept firing questions his way. That was shorter than his usual tarmac interactions, which often stretch beyond five minutes.
The president’s comments also drew attention to his own publicly reported measurements. The White House listed his weight at 238 pounds and his height at 6 feet, 3 inches following a physical in May. Based on those measurements, his body mass index comes to 29.7, placing him in the overweight range and just short of the obesity cutoff of 30.
