Trump berates Independent reporter in Oval Office, then removes him from press pool
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The gist
Trump berated The Independent's Andrew Feinberg in the Oval Office, then removed him from the press pool.
The clash raises questions about press access and White House treatment of reporters.
Background
Andrew Feinberg is a White House correspondent for The Independent, a news outlet. Donald Trump, the US president, berated him during an Oval Office event after Feinberg questioned a new program offering financial rewards for reporting fraud against the federal government, noting the False Claims Act already gives whistleblowers a share of recovered money. The White House rapid response account and the Vice President's official government account also insulted Feinberg. Trump has frequently snapped at journalists pressing him on difficult questions and has sought to use the power of his office to punish media outlets.
How it unfolded
- Oct 20, 2026During an Oval Office event, Trump told The Independent's Andrew Feinberg "Wait, wait. Quiet," "What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person? I actually think there's something wrong with you," and "I don't know who the hell you are, but you better be careful."
- Oct 20, 2026The White House rapid response account called Feinberg a "Mongoloid Moron" and the Vice President's official government account labeled him an "imbecile."
- Oct 20, 2026Feinberg said the clash began after he questioned a new program offering financial rewards for reporting fraud against the federal government, flagging that the False Claims Act already gives whistleblowers a share of recovered money.
- Oct 21, 2026Feinberg published a first-person piece in The Independent saying he had an annual physical earlier this month and is "in perfect health."
- Oct 21, 2026Trump subsequently removed Feinberg from the White House press pool.
- Oct 21, 2026CNN was barred from fulfilling its out-of-town pool duties when Trump traveled to South Carolina to stump for Republican Sen. Darline Graham.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Trump told Feinberg "Wait, wait. Quiet," questioned whether he was "a sick person," and warned "you better be careful," while White House and Vice President's accounts called him a "Mongoloid Moron" and an "imbecile."
- Party
- Feinberg said he was targeted "for doing my job," that the slur is "a phrase I would never use," and that he is "in perfect health" and will be "right back at it tomorrow."