Donald Trump erupted at a Reuters reporter Thursday after being questioned about his decision to cancel a campaign rally in Kansas, turning a routine exchange about his travel schedule into a barrage of personal insults.
The confrontation came just days before the midterm elections, as Republicans face an unexpectedly competitive Senate race in a state that has long been considered reliably conservative.
Trump had been scheduled to appear Saturday in Salina, Kansas, to campaign for Republican Senator Roger Marshall. But on Thursday, officials confirmed that the event had been canceled, with the White House announcing that the president would instead participate in a series of telephone rallies.
The change immediately attracted attention, particularly because Marshall is locked in a close contest with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton.
After Trump stepped off Air Force One, a Reuters correspondent approached him with questions about the demanding campaign schedule.
“We’ve been doing a lot of travel with you. How are you feeling? How’s your health?” the reporter asked.
Trump initially offered a positive assessment.
“I think we’re doing good. I think you see that. We had a great rally. That was a great rally,” he replied, before praising the Republican candidates he had been campaigning for.
Then came the question that changed the entire conversation.
“You’re not going to Kansas. That’s nothing to do with you being sick of traveling?” the reporter asked.
Trump appeared to interpret the question as a suggestion that he was physically ill, rather than simply tired of traveling.
His response was immediate and hostile.
“Oh, you’re sick to ask that question. You are sick. Who are you with?” Trump demanded.
“I’m with Reuters, sir,” the reporter answered.
“You are a sick guy. Reuters is terrible, by the way,” Trump replied.
The reporter attempted to explain that he was simply checking on the president’s well-being.
“Well, we just want to make sure you’re doing well,” he said.
But Trump continued attacking him, this time turning to the journalist’s physical appearance.
“Look at this guy. He’s way out of shape,” Trump said.
The president then returned to the cancellation, insisting that he had decided against traveling to Kansas because he did not consider the appearance necessary.
“I’m not going to Kansas because he’s doing very well,” Trump said, referring to the Republican candidate.
He explained that he planned to hold a telephone rally instead and would be traveling to Florida the following day.
Trump also insisted that his health was not an issue.
“I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas,” he said.
“You’ve been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect.”
But even that explanation did not end the confrontation.
Trump delivered one final insult to the Reuters correspondent.
“You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell!”
Watch the video below.
The exchange, captured on video and reported by Mediaite, was another example of the president responding to an uncomfortable press question with a personal attack.
There is no evidence that Trump’s cancellation was caused by illness, and the reporter’s question did not establish that the president was experiencing any medical problem.
Indeed, the wording of the question suggests that the correspondent was asking whether the president had grown tired of the extensive travel schedule.
Trump’s response nevertheless transformed the discussion into a confrontation about his health and the reporter’s appearance.
The incident unfolded against a politically significant backdrop.
Kansas Republicans had been preparing for Trump’s second campaign visit to the state in less than two weeks.
The president previously appeared near Wichita on October 19 to support Marshall, whose reelection contest has become considerably more competitive than Republicans might have expected in a state Trump carried comfortably in 2024.
A CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday showed Hamilton leading Marshall among likely voters, 49 percent to 45 percent.
That result does not guarantee a Democratic victory, but it underscores the unusually close nature of the contest.
Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932.
A Democratic victory in November would therefore represent a major political upset and could have significant implications for control of the Senate.
The cancellation also raised questions about how Trump and Republican strategists are allocating their remaining campaign time.
The White House said the president would participate in more than 20 telephone rallies before Election Day, arguing that the format would allow him to reach voters in more places.
Kansas Republican officials similarly described the change as a scheduling decision intended to maximize Trump’s impact across multiple races.
Those explanations are consistent with a campaign trying to reach several competitive states during the final days before voting.
There is no verified evidence that Trump canceled the Kansas appearance because of the new poll, concerns about crowd size or an undisclosed health problem.
But the political circumstances surrounding the decision are difficult to ignore.
Marshall’s unexpectedly difficult reelection campaign is one of several Senate races that have attracted attention as Democrats attempt to challenge Republican control of Congress.
And the decision to replace an in-person rally with a telephone event comes at a moment when both parties are making their final appeals to voters.
For the Trump administration, the official message was straightforward: The president could reach more Americans by campaigning remotely.
For the Reuters reporter, the question was equally straightforward: Was the change related to the president’s demanding travel schedule?
Trump could have answered by explaining the campaign’s scheduling strategy and moving on.
Instead, he attacked the journalist, criticized Reuters and mocked the man’s physical condition.
The exchange did little to clarify the campaign’s strategic calculations. It did, however, produce another memorable confrontation between the president and a member of the press.
And with Election Day approaching, the canceled Kansas appearance remains a reminder of just how competitive some traditionally Republican states have become.
Whether the telephone rally strategy proves effective will ultimately be determined by voters.
But Thursday’s encounter made one thing clear: Trump was considerably more interested in insulting the reporter than calmly discussing the question that had been put to him.
About the Author
Friends, Donald J. Trump is a sick person in health and sick in his very small brain cell. Trump is 80 years old; the bruising on his legs and neck tells all of us Trump is dying before our eyes. And the news media should file charges against Donnie for abuse, and Trump tells the news media to shape up. Does Trump not have a mirror? Trump is a fat slob with a filthy mouth. and no respect for anyone.
Donald J. Trump is a disgrace to the human race.