Trump calls media members ‘dummies’ and ‘stupid’ a day after his Oval Office tirade

Reporters pressing President Donald Trump on Russia drew personal insults from him outside the White House on Wednesday, one day after he berated The Independent's Andrew Feinberg in the Oval Office. The exchanges came as Trump faces criticism, including from several congressional Republicans, over his decision to set aside new Russia sanctions that were part of legislation he signed last month, just before they were due to start.

When CNN's Kaitlan Collins raised the matter, Trump insisted he could put the penalties in place whenever he chose. He began describing what would follow if Russia misbehaved, then cut off her follow-up, called her a "dummy" and said she lacked intelligence. He argued that sanctions would have ended talks to bring home Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American retired teacher seized in Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to release Hubbard after years in prison, at Trump's request.

An ABC News reporter then asked whether the waiver amounted to giving Russia something in return for Hubbard's freedom. Trump asked whether the reporter was stupid, then called ABC the worst network of all.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →