Trump Insults Female Reporter Over Ballroom Budget, Calls Her 'Dumb Person'

Former President Donald Trump directed insults at a female reporter on May 12, 2026, during a press interaction on the White House lawn. The confrontation occurred as Trump prepared to board a flight to China.

The reporter questioned the escalating cost of Trump’s pet project—a ballroom—whose budget had doubled from an original $200 million to an estimated $400 million. Trump responded aggressively, asserting that the project remained under budget and ahead of schedule.

Trump: "We have a ballroom that’s under budget. It’s going up right here. I’ve doubled the size of it because we obviously need that."

Reporter: "The price doubled."

Trump: "I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. You are not a smart person."

Video footage shared by journalist Aaron Rupar captured the exchange, showing Trump leaning in closely to the reporter as he delivered the insults.

Trump’s ballroom project has faced scrutiny over its soaring costs, with Republicans in Congress also advancing a $1 billion proposal for the same initiative.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of Trump targeting female reporters with disparaging remarks. Since late 2025, he has frequently made headlines for insults directed at journalists from outlets such as ABC News, CNN, CBS News, Bloomberg News, and the New York Times. His comments have included terms like "nasty," "piggy," "terrible," "ugly," and "incapable."

In response to criticism, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson issued a statement defending Trump’s approach:

"President Trump has never been politically correct, never holds back, and in large part, the American people re-elected him for his transparency. This has nothing to do with gender – it has everything to do with the fact that the President’s and the public’s trust in the media is at all time lows."