Rachel Scott asked Trump why he’s polishing monuments while gas prices soar. His meltdown revealed a truth about his priorities
‘Beauty made our country.’
President Donald Trump lost his cool during a press Q&A on May 7 when ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott asked why he was focusing on monument renovations while gas prices continued to climb. His explosive reaction, calling her question “stupid” and a “disgrace to our country”, sparked another round of debate about his priorities and his treatment of reporters.
According to Us Weekly, the exchange happened as Trump stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial, where he was highlighting recent updates to the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument. Scott, ABC’s senior political correspondent, asked the obvious question: with the war in Iran still unfolding and gas prices hitting wallets hard, why was polishing monuments a priority? Trump’s response was racist and scathing.
“It’s such a stupid question you ask,” he shot back. “We’re fixing up the reflecting pond to the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and you say, ‘Why are you fixing it up?’ You can understand dirt maybe better than I can, but I don’t allow it. This is one of the worst reporters. She’s with ABC Fake News, and she’s a horror show.”
The President then gave a bizarre explanation for his priorities
He insisted that “beauty made our country, people made our country great,” and that Scott’s question was beneath the dignity of the moment. The clip of the meltdown quickly spread online, with Scott posting it to her X account alongside a straightforward summary of what went down.
“I asked the president why focus on these projects now amid the backdrop of the war in Iran and as gas prices soar,” she wrote. “He said the question was ‘stupid’ and a ‘disgrace to the country’ saying he’s ‘fixing’ the reflecting pool.”
This wasn’t the first time Trump had gone after Scott. Back in December 2025, during a Cabinet Room roundtable, Scott pressed him on whether the administration planned to release full video footage of a controversial military strike on a Venezuelan boat. The strike had drawn criticism after reports suggested a second attack targeted survivors floating in the ocean, raising potential war crime concerns.
Trump’s reaction was just as hostile. “You are the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place,” he snapped. “Let me just tell you, you are an obnoxious… a terrible reporter. And it’s always the same thing with you. I told you.”
Scott’s career at ABC News has been marked by high-profile assignments, including covering Capitol Hill, the White House, and now being the network’s lead campaign correspondent. But her reporting has clearly struck a nerve with Trump.
Trump has a long history of clashing with journalists, especially women
The president’s pattern of personal attacks has become a defining feature of his press interactions, and Scott is far from the only target. According to People, just a month before the Venezuelan boat incident, Trump lashed out at Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey aboard Air Force One when she asked about potentially incriminating Epstein emails. “Quiet. Quiet, Piggy,” he barked, pointing his finger in her face.
Days later, during a press conference with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he turned his ire on ABC’s Mary Bruce. “You know, it’s not the question that I mind. It’s your attitude,” he told her. “I think you are a terrible reporter… You’re a terrible person and a terrible reporter.” He even suggested ABC’s broadcast license should be revoked, calling the network’s coverage “so fake and so wrong.”
His attacks haven’t been limited to in-person confrontations
On Truth Social, he’s taken aim at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, misspelling her name as “Caitlin Collin’s” and calling her “always Stupid and Nasty.” He’s also gone after The New York Times and its White House correspondent Katie Rogers, calling her a “third-rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out” after she contributed to a story about his age and fitness for office. The Times called his insults “name-calling and personal attacks” that wouldn’t deter their reporting.
The White House has consistently defended Trump’s behavior, framing it as a sign of his transparency and willingness to call out what he sees as biased coverage. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that Trump’s bluntness is actually more respectful than behind-the-scenes criticism.
“He calls out fake news when he sees it,” she said. “He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him, when you spread fake news about him and his administration. But he also is the most transparent president in history, and he gives all of you in this room unprecedented access.” She added that his “frank and open” style is a refreshing change.
Trump’s team has dismissed the idea that his attacks are gendered
“This has nothing to do with gender,” a White House spokesperson said after his remarks about Rogers. “It has everything to do with the fact that the President’s and the public’s trust in the media is at all-time lows.” But the pattern is hard to ignore. Whether it’s Scott, Lucey, Bruce, or Collins, Trump’s most public clashes have disproportionately targeted women in the press corps.
For reporters like Scott, these exchanges are just part of the job. She’s built a reputation for asking tough questions, even when they provoke a defensive or aggressive response. But Trump’s reaction to her query raised eyebrows for another reason. It wasn’t just the personal insults but also how he dodged the substance of the question. Instead of addressing why he was prioritizing cosmetic updates over pressing issues, he attacked the messenger.
Trump’s focus on aesthetics has been a hallmark of his approach. When confronted with a question challenging this priority, his instinct wasn’t to defend the policy but to dismiss the question as beneath him. In doing so, he inadvertently highlighted exactly what Scott was getting at: with gas prices soaring and war raging, is polishing monuments the best use of time and attention?
(Featured image: The White House)
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