Trump insults Reuters reporter after question on cancelled Kansas rally

The exchange on Thursday

On Thursday, 29 October, a Reuters reporter asked President Donald Trump about his decision to cancel a rally in Kansas, wondering whether he was worn out by recent travel. Reports say Trump read the question as a reference to his health and answered with a string of insults. He told the reporter that he was sick for asking such a thing and asked who he worked for. When the reporter said Reuters, Trump called the outlet terrible and called the journalist an unwell individual. The reporter said he only wanted to make sure the president was well, but Trump turned to the reporter's appearance and said he was completely out of shape. The exchange ended with a final round of insults about how the reporter looked.

Trump's account

Trump said he did not think he needed to go to Kansas and that he would travel to Florida the next day, 30 October, adding that he would do something else if anything else came up. He said he felt perfect, as reported by AFP, and reminded the reporter that he had been following him for the past fourteen days. Several accounts describe the question as one about fatigue from recent trips rather than about the president's health. The question was put to Trump as he arrived back on Air Force One, and AFP reported it came before a trip to North Carolina. The insults were directed at the reporter's looks and were not a response to the substance of the question on the cancellation.

Virtual rallies ahead of the midterms

Several rallies scheduled for the weekend were called off. Instead, the Republican National Committee said Trump would take part in a large number of virtual rallies, which would let him reach more voters in the limited time left before the 3 November midterm elections. According to the reporting, the virtual format would allow Trump to reach almost 20 states. The decision to cancel the in-person events came only days before the midterm vote. The Kansas stop was part of the weekend schedule that was cut back, and the sources do not give further detail on how the new virtual schedule will be organised.

What comes next

The sources point to two next steps: the planned trip to Florida on 30 October and the virtual rallies that will run before the 3 November midterms. The exchange has drawn attention because it came in response to a question about the president's stamina during a campaign period. The sources do not report any further response from the White House to the exchange with the reporter.