Trump Calls ABC's Rachel Scott "Most Obnoxious Reporter" Over Strike-Footage Question

In December 2025, Trump publicly derided ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott as "the most obnoxious reporter" after she pressed him on whether the administration would release full footage of a controversial September 2 military strike on a vessel off Venezuela. Scott had asked about his earlier comment that he had "no problem" releasing the video; Trump denied making that statement and turned to insults instead of answering.

The strike footage has drawn bipartisan scrutiny amid allegations that a second strike on the same vessel may have violated the laws of war. Rather than address the substance, Trump's response followed a pattern of attacking journalists, particularly women, when confronted with uncomfortable questions — he has also called CNN's Kaitlan Collins "stupid and nasty" and disparaged a Bloomberg reporter.

Media figures, including MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, warned that repeated personal attacks on reporters erode norms around press scrutiny of the presidency and shift focus away from substantive accountability questions the attacks were meant to deflect.