Former U.S. President Donald Trump launched into a sharp rebuke of a journalist during a press availability aboard Air Force One on Sunday, taking particular issue with a question about the gravity of his warnings to Iran.
A Heated Exchange Over Iran
The confrontation occurred as Trump was discussing the volatile situation in Iran, where the regime has cracked down on nationwide protests and threatened to attack American military bases. Trump warned that if Iran acted, the U.S. would hit back at "levels that they’ve never been hit before" and with "a very, very powerful force."
When an unidentified reporter, whom Trump identified as being from CNN, asked, "Do you think Iran takes your threats seriously?" the former president responded with derision. "I think so. Don’t you think so, CNN?" he replied before listing a series of overseas military actions as evidence.
A Pattern of Confronting Journalists
Trump then mocked the query, repeating it in a sarcastic tone. "She says, CNN, 'Do you think they take your threat seriously,'" he said. "Wouldn’t you say they do after all the things we’ve done? What a stupid question." The list of actions he cited included:
- The 2020 assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
- The 2019 strike that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria.
- The recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela that removed President Nicolás Maduro.
This incident is not an isolated one. Trump has a long history of contentious interactions with the press corps, but observers note he has been particularly harsh toward women journalists covering him in recent months.
Recent History of Attacks on Reporters
Just last month, Trump attacked CNN's Kaitlan Collins on his Truth Social platform, calling her "always Stupid and Nasty" while misspelling her name. Other notable incidents include:
He asked CBS News White House correspondent Nancy Cordes during a Thanksgiving gaggle, "Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?" when she tried to ask a question.
He called New York Times reporter Katie Rogers "ugly" after a report on his lighter schedule.
He slammed ABC's Mary Bruce for what he termed "a horrible, insubordinate, and just a terrible question."
He insulted Bloomberg's Catherine Lucey with the now-infamous retort, "Quiet, piggy!"
The latest exchange aboard Air Force One underscores the persistently adversarial relationship between the former president and the media, a dynamic that continues to draw significant public and political scrutiny.
