Video Trump snaps at reporter's question about projects amid war in Iran President Trump unloaded on a reporter's question about his beautification efforts in Washington D.C. on Thursday, calling the ABC journalist's question "stupid."
President Donald Trump blasted a question from an ABC reporter on Thursday about projects the president had been working on amid the war in Iran, calling it "stupid."
"Mr. President, you are here against the backdrop of a war in Iran. Why focus on all these projects right now?" Scott asked.
"Because I want to keep our country beautiful and safe," Trump said. "This place was disgusting. It's an ugly place. Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and we had a terrible, you probably don't see dirt, but I do. If you walk down this pond... They had to take 11 or 12 truckloads of garbage out of that lake, out of that water. And it sat there for years like that. And that's not what our country is about. Our country is about beauty, cleanliness, safety, great people. Not a filthy capital."
The president added, "It's such a stupid question that you ask."
President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP)
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Trump asked why the reporter, ABC's Rachel Scott, would ask the question.
"This is one of the worst reporters. She's with ABC fake news. She's a horror show. And she says, 'Why would you bother fixing this up?' Why would I bother taking 11 or 12 truckloads of filth out of the water in front of the Lincoln Monument? That's what made our country great—beauty. Made our country, people. A question like that is a disgrace to our country," Trump added.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 20, 2026, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens before departing on Marine One. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
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ABC News did not immediately return a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Trump has lashed out at reporters several times in his second term. During a press gaggle on Air Force One in March, Trump called ABC News "corrupt."
Trump was asked at the time if he could explain why thousands of Marines and sailors are being sent to the Middle East. The president appeared to shush the reporter before responding.
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"You’re a very obnoxious person," Trump said before quickly moving on to another reporter.
He was asked another question earlier, reportedly by the same reporter, about a fundraising email. The president asked the correspondent what network they were with, as the reporter said ABC News.
"One of the worst, most fake, most corrupt," Trump responded. "You know what, ABC News, I think it’s maybe the most corrupt news organization on the planet. I think they’re terrible."
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Wed. March 11, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)
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Trump then declared, "I don’t want any more from ABC News."
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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