President Donald Trump criticized ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce during a White House exchange, calling her a “terrible reporter” and questioning the network’s broadcast license.
President Donald Trump took aim at ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce on Tuesday, labeling her a “terrible reporter” during a contentious exchange at the White House. His comments came in response to Bruce’s probing questions regarding the appropriateness of the president’s family engaging in business dealings in Saudi Arabia while he remains in office.
Bruce, who serves as ABC’s chief White House correspondent, was one of the select reporters permitted into the Oval Office for a meeting between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. During the session, she confronted the crown prince about U.S. intelligence assessments that implicated him in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi national and Virginia resident known for his critical stance toward the Saudi government.
“Your Royal Highness, the U.S. intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist. 9/11 families are furious that you are here in the Oval Office. Why should Americans trust you? And the same to you, Mr. President,” Bruce asked, directing her questions to both leaders.
As Bruce continued to press for answers, Trump interjected, asking which outlet she represented before dismissing ABC as “fake news.” He defended his family’s business ties in Saudi Arabia and downplayed the intelligence community’s conclusions regarding the crown prince’s involvement in Khashoggi’s death, stating that “a lot of people didn’t like” Khashoggi.
In response to Bruce’s inquiries, Prince Mohammed admitted that Khashoggi’s killing was a painful incident and described it as “a huge mistake.” However, Trump’s frustration with Bruce escalated as she continued to challenge him. After her third question, which focused on why the White House was waiting for Congress to act before releasing information related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s correspondence, Trump expressed his discontent.
“It’s not the question that I mind,” Trump stated. “It’s your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter. It’s the way you ask these questions.”
After briefly addressing the Epstein question, Trump returned to his criticism of Bruce, claiming that “people are wise to your hoax.” He further suggested that ABC’s broadcast license should be reconsidered, asserting, “I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and it’s so wrong.”
Trump referenced FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, whose agency is responsible for overseeing licensing for local broadcast stations, implying that the chairman should investigate the network’s credibility. He added, “When you’re 97% negative to Trump, and then Trump wins the election in a landslide, that means, obviously, your news is not credible. And you’re not credible as a reporter.”
ABC News did not respond to Trump’s remarks on that day. In contrast, Bloomberg News reacted after Trump referred to one of its reporters, Catherine Lucey, as “piggy” during a recent question-and-answer session aboard Air Force One. Reuters also shared a video clip of Trump calling Lucey “quiet piggy” on its Instagram account.
As the exchange between Trump and Bruce unfolded, it underscored the ongoing tensions between the president and the media, particularly regarding the coverage of his administration and its dealings with foreign leaders.
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