U.S. President Donald Trump clashed sharply with an ABC News reporter on Tuesday, erupting in anger when she pressed him on the release of federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The tense exchange unfolded during an Oval Office press conference with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking the latest in a string of confrontations between the president and journalists.
Highlights
- Trump erupted in anger at ABC reporter Mary Bruce over questions on the release of Jeffrey Epstein's federal files during an Oval Office press conference.
- Trump called ABC a 'crappy company' and demanded its broadcast license be revoked over what he called 'fake' news and biased reporting.
- Congress swiftly passed a bill requiring the Justice Department to release all unclassified records related to Epstein within 30 days.
ABC’s chief White House correspondent, Mary Bruce, asked Trump why he waited for Congress to release the Epstein files.
Trump erupted in anger at a reporter when she asked him about the Epstein files
Image credits: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
The president bristled immediately.
“It’s not the question that I mind. It’s your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter,” Trump responded immediately.
“People are wise to your hoax,” he said, calling ABC News a “crappy company” before calling for its broadcast license to be revoked.
“And I'll tell you something, I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and is so wrong. And we have a great commissioner, a chairman, who should look at that.”
Trump continued criticizing Bruce, claiming her reporting was biased.
“When you come in, and when you're 97% negative to Trump, and then Trump wins the election in a landslide, that means obviously your news is not credible,” he said.
Trump added, “And you’re not credible as a reporter, so I've answered your question. You should go and look at the Democrats who received money from Epstein. You're not after the radical left because you’re a radical left network.”
He ended his long rant by telling Bruce, “No more questions from you.”
The blowup came only days after another heated moment aboard Air Force One. On Friday, a Bloomberg reporter asked Trump if any of the recently released Epstein emails contained “incriminating” information about him.
Trump cut her off sharply, pointed at her, and said, “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.”
Later, when she asked another question, Trump said, “You’re with Bloomberg, right? You are the worst. I don't know why they even have you.”
Journalism has always been an “enemy of the people” for Trump. Since beginning his new term, he has escalated his war on the media with lawsuits, funding cuts, and executive orders aimed at outlets he deems hostile.
Trump has faced repeated questions about the Epstein files since the House Oversight Committee released thousands of pages of documents last week.
A congressional vote was not needed to release the files; Trump could have done that himself
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Some emails referenced the president, including one in which Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls” and had asked Ghislaine Maxwell to “stop.”
Despite Trump’s resistance to releasing the full set of records, political pressure intensified as the files became a major topic among his supporters.
On Tuesday, both chambers of Congress moved swiftly to approve the bill that orders the Justice Department to disclose its unclassified records on the convicted sex offender.
Image credits: Heather Diehl/Getty Images
The House passed the bill 427-1, and the Senate advanced it hours later by unanimous consent. The measure now heads to Trump’s desk, and he is expected to sign it.
The bill requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein and his accomplice Maxwell no later than 30 days after the law is enacted.
These include internal Justice Department communications, flight logs, and information about people and entities connected to Epstein.
The vote surprised many on Capitol Hill after weeks of Republican leaders echoing Trump’s earlier opposition. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had called the push a “Democrat hoax,” voted in favor on Tuesday.
Image credits: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
However, a congressional vote was not needed to release the files, and Trump could have ordered their release himself.
The internal Republican divide has grown sharper as some members, including Reps. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene demanded full disclosure on the files. Greene, once a staunch Trump ally, was labeled a “traitor” by Trump.
On Tuesday, Greene said at a news conference, “Let me tell you what a traitor is. A traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves; a patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans like the women standing behind me.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene fired back after Trump called her a ‘traitor’
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Survivors of Epstein’s abuse also urged Trump to accept the release. Annie Farmer, one of the victims who has spoken publicly, said withholding the documents amounted to “institutional betrayal.”
“Because these crimes were not properly investigated, so many more girls and women were harmed,” she said.
However, the Trump administration has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the emails released were “selectively leaked” by House Democrats to “liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.”
It remains unclear whether the Justice Department will redact the Epstein documents once Trump signs the bill. Officials could also argue that certain materials relate to ongoing investigations, giving them grounds to withhold or heavily censor portions of the release.