Former President Donald Trump engaged in a heated confrontation with a journalist during his Thanksgiving media availability, repeatedly questioning the reporter's intelligence while discussing immigration policies and the recent attack on National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
Tense Exchange Over Migrant Vetting
The confrontation occurred Thursday as Trump spoke from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. The discussion turned contentious when a reporter challenged Trump's claims about the vetting process for Afghan migrants, including the suspect in Wednesday's attack that left two National Guard members wounded.
Trump revealed that 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, one of the victims, had died from her injuries, while the other soldier remained in critical condition. The former president blamed President Joe Biden's immigration policies for allowing the suspect into the United States through a resettlement program in 2021.
"Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?" Trump demanded of the reporter during the exchange. The journalist had pointed out that the suspect had been thoroughly vetted and that the Trump administration had actually granted him asylum this year.
Conflicting Claims About Screening Process
Trump insisted that Afghan migrants entered the country without proper screening, displaying a photograph of a crowded plane carrying asylum-seekers. "There was no vetting or anything, they came in unvetted," he claimed.
The reporter countered this assertion, noting that the Department of Justice Inspector General had reported thorough vetting by both DHS and the FBI for Afghans brought into the United States. When she asked why he continued to blame the Biden administration, Trump responded sharply: "Because they let 'em in."
"You're just asking questions because you're a stupid person," Trump added, concluding the exchange. The former president argued that once migrants enter through such programs, "it's almost impossible" to remove them, claiming his administration had deported 527,000 migrants this year, though this number has faced scrutiny.
Pattern of Media Confrontations
This incident continues Trump's longstanding pattern of confrontations with journalists, though recent weeks have shown particular vitriol toward women covering him. Earlier this month, he called New York Times reporter Katie Rogers "ugly" following her report on his lighter schedule.
He also chastised ABC's Mary Bruce for what he termed "a horrible, insubordinate question" about Saudi Arabia's crown prince and told Bloomberg's Catherine Lucey to "Quiet, piggy!" when she inquired about Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump's staff has mirrored this approach, with one telling New Yorker writer Jane Mayer to "respectfully, shut the fuck up" when she questioned National Guard deployment following the D.C. attack.
Clinical psychologist Mary Trump, the former president's niece, suggested these attacks indicate he's feeling "a little rattled" during her recent podcast appearance. The pattern highlights ongoing tensions between the former president and the press corps covering him.
