Donald Trump has sparked controversy after calling a female reporter a “dumb person” during a heated exchange outside the White House that has since gone viral. The confrontation unfolded Tuesday as Trump prepared to depart aboard Marine One for a trip to China.
While speaking to reporters near the South Lawn, the president was asked about the construction of the controversial White House ballroom project, according to reports from The Mirror US. Amid the noise of the helicopter engines, Trump defended the project and insisted the expansion was progressing smoothly and remaining within budget.
“So what happened is we have a ballroom that’s under budget. It’s going up right here,” Trump told reporters while gesturing toward the White House grounds.
The president then claimed the ballroom had been significantly expanded during construction.
“I’ve doubled the size of it because we obviously need that, and we’re right now on budget, under budget, and ahead of schedule,” Trump said before abruptly adding: “I doubled the size of it, you dumb person.”
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Moments later, Trump appeared to escalate the exchange, telling the reporter: “You are not a smart person.”
The identity of the reporter involved in the exchange has not been publicly confirmed.
Trump’s confrontations with media
The latest incident is part of a growing string of confrontations between Trump and journalists in recent weeks.
Last week, Trump lashed out at ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott during a discussion near the Lincoln Memorial about cleanup efforts around the National Mall reflecting pool.
According to reports, Scott questioned Trump about the restoration work after the president claimed crews had removed “11 or 12 truckloads of garbage” from the water surrounding the memorial area.
“Such a stupid question that you asked,” Trump responded. He also described Scott as “one of the worst reporters” and called her “a horror show.”
Trump defended the cleanup project by arguing that maintaining the appearance of public landmarks reflected American values.
“That’s what made our country great. Beauty made our country,” he said.
The president has publicly criticized Scott on multiple occasions before. In January, Trump reportedly said the ABC reporter “hasn’t asked me a good question in years.” In another exchange in December 2025, Trump allegedly referred to Scott as “the most obnoxious” and “a terrible reporter” after she questioned him over an apparent inconsistency involving remarks about releasing footage from a boat strike incident.
