President Donald Trump unleashed a brutal verbal smackdown on a Reuters reporter Thursday after being asked whether his canceled campaign appearances in Kansas and Iowa meant he was getting sick of traveling.
The president was having none of it.
With the November midterms just days away, Trump was explaining changes to his campaign schedule when a reporter suggested his decision to scrap two in-person rallies could be connected to his health or fatigue.
Trump immediately turned the question back on the journalist.
The president called the reporter “sick” for asking before demanding to know which news organization he represented.
When the journalist identified himself as working for Reuters, Trump delivered another blistering response.
“You are a sick guy,” Trump declared.
The president then made clear that he was feeling “perfect” before taking aim at the reporter’s appearance.
“You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell,” Trump fired back before walking away.
Trump has no patience left for reporters who question his health after another grueling campaign schedule:
“Put yourself in shape. You look like hell.” https://t.co/AgJcyc6bND
— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) October 29, 2026
The sharp exchange came as the Republican National Committee announced adjustments to Trump’s campaign plans ahead of Tuesday’s elections.
Previously scheduled rallies in Kansas and Iowa will no longer take place in person, but the president is expected to participate in an extensive series of telephone rallies across nearly 20 states.
Republican officials said the change was designed to maximize Trump’s ability to reach voters during the final days of the campaign.
“With Election Day approaching, the Republican Party is maximizing opportunities for President Donald J. Trump to speak to voters across the country. With Republicans in a strong position in Kansas and Iowa, previously planned in-person rallies in those states will no longer take place as scheduled,” the RNC said in a statement.
Party officials emphasized that the president would continue campaigning through a series of remote events rather than spending additional time traveling between individual states.
“President Trump is expected to participate in a large number of tele-rallies, which can reach more voters in the limited time left before polls close,” the committee explained.
The planned events will reach voters in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
The RNC also indicated that additional campaign events could be announced.
Donald Trump addressed the Kansas cancellation directly Thursday, suggesting Republican Sen. Roger Marshall was performing well enough that an in-person presidential appearance was unnecessary.
“Because I think he’s doing well. We’re gonna do a tele-rally for him instead,” Trump said.
That explanation apparently wasn’t enough for the Reuters reporter, whose follow-up question about whether Trump was tired of traveling triggered the president’s sharpest remarks.
The confrontation highlighted Trump’s combative relationship with the national press, particularly when questions stray from his stated explanation and into speculation about his personal condition.
Trump has frequently challenged reporters over questions he considers misleading or unfair, and Thursday’s exchange followed that familiar pattern.
There was no indication in the RNC announcement that the canceled appearances were related to a medical issue.
Instead, Republican officials presented the change as a campaign strategy intended to expand the president’s reach during the final stretch before Election Day.
With control of Congress at stake, Trump’s schedule remains focused on reaching Republican voters across multiple battleground states.
But Thursday’s press encounter briefly shifted attention away from the election and onto another confrontation between the president and a national news reporter.
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