President Donald Trump lashed out at NBC News correspondent Monica Alba, calling her a “horrible little reporter” after she repeatedly pressed him about his defense of a controversial political ad targeting Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton.
The Thursday confrontation came as Trump backed her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, despite bipartisan criticism of the ad’s use of her painful family history. It marked another hostile exchange between Trump and a White House journalist during a week in which his administration has faced renewed scrutiny over its treatment of the press.
“But do the sexual abuse allegations mean nothing to you?” Alba asked Trump as he spoke with reporters outside the White House.
“Who are you with?” Trump responded.
“I am with NBC, sir,” Alba said.
“One of the worst networks you have,” Trump replied.
As Alba continued questioning him, Trump told her to be quiet before adding, “You’re a horrible little reporter, aren’t you?”
Trump defended the ad by arguing that Democrats would exploit similar criticism from his own mother. “If my mother said bad things about me, do you think the Democrats would put it up? I think so,” he said. “But my mother thought I was wonderful.”
When Alba pointed out that Acton’s mother had stayed with her stepfather, Trump responded, “I don’t know anything about her stepfather.”
The 60-second ad, which TheWrap covered earlier this week, features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood. According to the Associated Press, Acton’s stepfather was indicted on a charge of raping her as a child. Acton and her brother were subsequently removed from their mother’s custody.
Ramaswamy has since taken responsibility for the ad, with his campaign committing $4 million to promoting it. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who has endorsed Ramaswamy, nevertheless urged the campaign to pull the spot, calling it wrong.
The confrontation followed Trump’s heated exchange Tuesday with The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg, who was subsequently removed from a White House travel press pool assignment. The White House Correspondents’ Association condemned the decision as retaliation, warning that restricting access over a reporter’s questions threatens the public’s right to an independent press.
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