Trump sparks fresh controversy after calling female reporter 'stupid'

US President Donald Trump called a female reporter stupid on Thursday, adding to the litany of insults he has dealt to women in the media when he dislikes their questions.

"Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?" Trump said, cutting off the reporter as he fielded questions at his Florida estate about the vetting of Afghans in the United States.

Two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House on Wednesday, allegedly by an Afghan national brought into the country following the abrupt withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021.


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The reporter asked Trump why he blamed his predecessor Joe Biden, when some in his own administration had said resettled Afghans were thoroughly vetted.

"Because they let them in," Trump snapped, holding up a picture of a US military plane packed with people fleeing as the Taliban authorities resumed power.

They came "along with thousands of other people that shouldn't be here, and you're just asking questions because you're a stupid person," Trump said.

Insults and brash talk are a trademark of the Trump era, but the US leader appears to reserve a particular ire for women in the press corps.

On Wednesday, Trump raged at a New York Times report that focused on his age and growing signs of fatigue, calling the woman author of the article "ugly."

Earlier this month, he called a woman journalist "piggy" and another "a terrible person."