Trump rebukes ABC reporter Rachel Scott over dividend proposal question
President Donald Trump told ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott she and her network were "the worst" after she asked about funding for a proposed $5,000 dividend to voters, adding to a pattern of confrontations with female journalists.
President Donald Trump criticized ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott on the tarmac at the conclusion of the Republican midterm convention, saying, "Not you. Not you … Your network and you, you’re the worst." The remarks followed Scott’s questions about how a promised $5,000 "Trump dividend" for every American could be financed, given the national debt exceeds $40 trillion, and why cash incentives were needed if the administration’s economic policies were already successful.
The exchange was captured on video and circulated widely, highlighting the president’s repeated disputes with female members of the press. In August, Trump told CNN White House reporter Kristen Holmes to "be quiet" after she inquired about U.S. military exercises with South Korea. Earlier in May, he called MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner a "dumb person" when she noted the cost of a White House ballroom renovation had risen from $200 million to $400 million.
White House assistant press secretary Olivia Wales said, "President Trump is the most accessible President in American history. But when liberal reporters, male or female, ask biased questions, he calls them out and delivers his message without apology." ABC News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.