‘Dumb Person’: Trump Goes Off on Reporter for White House Ballroom Cost Question
Trump said the ballroom was under budget because he doubled its size, then the White House circulated the exchange after the clip went viral.
- On Tuesday, President Donald Trump attacked MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner after she pressed him on why his new 90,000-square-foot ballroom's price surged from $200 million to $400 million, snapping, "You dumb person."
- Originally presented as a $200 million vanity project in July, the ballroom's cost rose to $400 million by December; Republicans now seek $220 million in taxpayer funds for security as part of a $1 billion envelope.
- Trump insisted the venue was "under budget" because he "doubled the size of it because we obviously need that," despite the total rising to nearly $1 billion with security upgrades. The outburst continues a pattern of hostility toward female journalists including ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott.
- Critics condemned the behavior, while the White House Rapid Response account circulated the clip and derided Gardner as "fake news." Social media users expressed horror at the president's conduct during the press gaggle.
- The incident is the latest in what critics describe as a calculated pattern of intelligence-based slurs directed at Black women in the media. Trump has previously branded journalists "low IQ" and "nasty," raising concerns about presidential rhetoric toward female reporters.
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Prior to his trip to China, the U.S. president clashed with the press and became out of place. The triggers were questions about his ballroom project at the White House and Iran policy.
Donald Trump lashes out at reporter for asking about ballroom cost: “You dumb person!”
After Donald Trump bragged to reporters about doubling the size of his beloved White House ballroom and remaining under budget, one journalist yelled out that the price had actually doubled. Trump immediately snapped in response, “I doubled the size of it, you dumb person! Doubled the size. You are not a smart person.” Related Donald Trump called the White House a sh*t house & everyone is thinking the same thing The reporter in question was MS…
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Dothan Eagle‘Dumb person’: Trump goes off on reporter for White House ballroom cost question
President Donald Trump referred to a reporter as “you dumb person” after he was asked to explain the ballooning costs for his White House ballroom.
Donald Trump Tells Black reporter 'You Are Not a Smart Person' After Questioning New White House Ballroom Doubled Cost
Donald Trump has sparked a fresh racial and gender row after branding a black female reporter 'dumb' during a heated exchange on the White House Lawn. The President attacked MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, after she pressed him on why the price tag for his new 90,000-square-foot ballroom had surged from $200m to $400m (£320m) since last July. Trump, who was preparing to depart for high-stakes talks in Beijing, appear…
When a reporter asks about the double cost of the White House's planned ballroom, Donald Trump bends down to her and insults her as a fool. Not the only incident in which the US president publicly loses control.
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