President Donald Trump lashed out at CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes on Thanksgiving, calling her a “stupid person” during a tense exchange over the vetting of an Afghan national accused in a deadly Washington, D.C., shooting.
The confrontation unfolded Thursday afternoon as Trump fielded questions from reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate, just hours after the U.S. Army announced the death of 20-year-old National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, one of two service members shot the previous day near the White House. The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly opened fire in what authorities described as a targeted attack.Cordes pressed Trump on his repeated blame of the Biden administration for immigration failures, noting a recent Department of Justice Inspector General report that confirmed thorough vetting of Afghan evacuees—including Lakanwal, who had worked closely with the CIA—by the Department of Homeland Security and FBI.
“Your DOJ IG just reported this year that there was thorough vetting... so why do you blame the Biden administration?” she asked.
Trump interrupted sharply: “Because they let them in. Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?” He repeated the insult three times, accusing her of ignoring the “disgraceful” influx of unvetted refugees on “big planes” and dismissing her questions as the product of ignorance.
“You’re just asking questions because you’re a stupid person,” he added, without directly addressing the vetting details.
YIKES! Donald Trump had a meltdown and lashes out at a reporter who press him about on the National Guard shooter:
— Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) November 28, 2025
“Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person? You're just asking questions because you're a stupid person.” What an insecure child.
pic.twitter.com/Wgajxd5w6j
The outburst marked the fourth public attack on female reporters in two weeks, escalating concerns over Trump’s pattern of personal insults toward women in the press corps. Earlier incidents included:
- On Nov. 20, Trump snapped at Bloomberg News White House correspondent Catherine Lucey aboard Air Force One, telling her to “quiet, piggy” after she questioned his comments on economic policy.
- During a Nov. 22 press conference, he berated ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce as a “terrible person” and suggested she “ought to go back and learn how to be a reporter” while defending Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
- On Nov. 26, Trump took to Truth Social to call New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers “ugly, both inside and out,” in response to a story she co-authored implying he was grappling with the “realities of aging in office.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president’s candor Friday, calling it “frank and honest” and more respectful than avoiding questions. “The president is very frank with everyone in this room,” she said during a briefing.
Critics, including media experts and women’s advocacy groups, condemned the remarks as gendered micro-assaults designed to humiliate and silence.