‘You Look Like Hell’: Trump Body-Shames Journalist, Calls Him ‘Disgusting’, Extending His Long War With Press

Washington: US President Donald Trump once again turned a question from the press into an occasion to personally attack a journalist, this time targeting a Reuters reporter over his physical appearance after being asked whether the President's health had anything to do with his decision to cancel two campaign rallies.

During an exchange with reporters on Thursday, October 29, Trump called the journalist “sick”, dismissed his news organisation as “terrible” and went on to body-shame him, telling him to “put yourself in shape” and that he “looked like hell”.

The incident is the latest in a long series of confrontations between Trump and journalists who have questioned his statements, decisions and administration. From dismissing critical coverage as 'fake news' to publicly humiliating reporters over their questions and appearance, Trump's hostility towards the media has remained a recurring feature of his political career.

Trump Loses His Temper After Reuters Journalist Questions His Health

The confrontation began when the Reuters journalist asked Trump whether his decision to skip a scheduled campaign appearance in Kansas was linked to him feeling unwell after weeks of travelling and campaigning across the country.

Rather than directly addressing the question, Trump immediately turned on the reporter.

"Oh, you're sick to ask that question. You are sick," he responded.

When the journalist identified himself as being from Reuters, Trump took another swipe, saying, “Reuters is terrible, by the way.”

The reporter attempted to explain that he was simply checking on the President's well-being. However, Trump shifted the exchange towards the journalist's appearance, briefly mimicking his question before making personal remarks about his physique.

"Look at this guy. He's way out of shape," Trump said. When the journalist persisted with his question about the President's health, Trump insisted that he was doing perfectly well.

"I've been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect," he said, before continuing his attack. "You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell," Trump remarked.

From 'Sick Person' To 'Piggy': Trump's Repeated Attacks On Journalists

Thursday's confrontation is not an isolated incident. Trump's repeated public attacks on journalists have become a defining feature of his relationship with the American media, particularly when reporters raise questions he appears unwilling to entertain.

In another recent confrontation at the Oval Office on October 20, Trump lashed out at Andrew Feinberg, White House correspondent for The Independent, after he attempted to question the President about plans concerning a golf course in Washington and the administration's proposed Fraud Whistleblower Incentive programme, known as Whip.

The programme offers rewards of $30,000 for information about alleged government fraud. Feinberg questioned why someone would use the scheme when an existing programme, which has been in place for centuries, offered considerably higher rewards.

Trump repeatedly interrupted the journalist, telling him to be quiet before asking, "What's wrong with you? Are you a sick person?"

He further remarked, "I actually think there's something wrong with you."

The pattern of personal attacks has also extended to women journalists.

In November 2025, Trump called Bloomberg journalist Catherine Lucey "Piggy" when she questioned him about the Jeffrey Epstein files aboard Air Force One. During another exchange, he attacked CBS News journalist Nancy Cordes, using remarks including "ugly" and "stupid" after she questioned him about a shooting involving National Guard members in Washington.

His exchanges with female reporters have also drawn attention in 2026. CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes has faced repeated public rebukes from Trump, including being called "loud" and "disrespectful" and being told to remain quiet while attempting to question him.

Trump's administration has also been involved in a series of legal confrontations with media organisations, including lawsuits against major publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

'Enemy Of The People': A Decade Of Trump's Hostility Towards The Press

Trump's confrontational relationship with the media stretches back to his first presidential campaign in 2015. His repeated use of the term 'fake news' to dismiss unfavourable coverage and his description of journalists as "the enemy of the people" have been central to his public attacks on the press.

The scale of this hostility has also been documented by the US Press Freedom Tracker, which has maintained a record of Trump's anti-press rhetoric across his political career.

According to the Freedom of the Press Foundation's tracking project, the database had recorded more than 3,720 anti-press posts by August 2026, covering attacks on individual journalists, media organisations and the press as a whole.

These included 1,628 references to 'fake news', 77 uses of 'enemy of the people' and 776 instances of name-calling directed at individual journalists.

The pattern has not been restricted to social media. Trump's public exchanges with reporters, repeated attacks on news organisations and threats of action against media outlets have kept his relationship with the press under scrutiny.

Why Did Trump Cancel His Kansas And Iowa Rallies?

The latest confrontation came amid Trump's decision to cancel two planned campaign appearances in Kansas and Iowa ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

The President was scheduled to address rallies in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday. Both states have competitive races as Republicans attempt to retain their narrow control of the US Senate and House of Representatives.

Trump told reporters that he did not "feel like I have to go to Kansas", while expressing confidence in Republican Senator Roger Marshall's prospects in the state. The Republican National Committee subsequently announced that the Iowa rally would also be cancelled.

Instead of attending the events in person, Trump's campaign funding group, MAGA Inc, announced plans to organise tele-rallies featuring the President in at least 19 states, including Kansas and Iowa, before Election Day.

Since October 1, Trump has held 25 rallies across 19 states in an effort to boost Republican candidates. Despite cancelling the two appearances, he is expected to travel to Florida on Friday for another campaign event.

Trump has previously acknowledged the physical demands of his campaign schedule. Speaking at a rally in Mississippi on Monday, he said, "God didn't make your vocal cords to do a rally every day."

The US President, however, insisted during Thursday's exchange that his health was not an issue, telling the Reuters journalist, “I feel perfect.”