‘Not You’: When ABC reporter pressed Trump about promised $5000 midterm checks, the president responded by lunging at the often-targeted reporter

In an increasingly familiar sight, as President Donald Trump prepared to depart Dallas after the RNC, he engaged in a heated exchange with ABC News senior political correspondent Rachel Scott. The friction centered on the president’s recent pledge to give $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans won in the upcoming midterms. Per PEOPLE, he lunged towards her and kept cutting her off as she tried to ask follow-up questions.

Scott reportedly pressed the president on how the government could manage such a massive payout given the current $40 trillion national debt. However, as she tried to talk, Trump dismissed her inquiries. “Not you, not you. Hey, not you,” he said, wagging his finger at the journalist. He then punctuated his final “not you” by stepping forward and leaning down toward Scott. 

According to Newsweek, Scott had asked, “If your economic policies are working, why do you need an incentive for people to turn out to vote?” Trump replied, “I’m doing it as a reward for people having to put up with five years and four years of a horrible situation caused by Biden.” He snapped at her when she then tried to follow up, even telling her, “You’re the worst.” 

A noticeable pattern of behavior

This isn’t the first time Scott, who covers the White House, Congress, and national politics for ABC, has faced the president’s ire or clashed with him. Newsweek and PEOPLE noted that in May, Trump called one of her questions “stupid.” He then labeled her a “horror show” and “one of the worst reporters.” She had been asking about the rising prices and his choice to prioritize beautifying DC during the Iran war. Trump also called her questions “a disgrace to our country.”

An ABC News spokesperson told PEOPLE on September 11, “We wholeheartedly support Rachel Scott and our entire Washington team who do an exceptional job delivering trusted and straightforward reporting to the public every single day.” Scott herself has not offered public commentary on the incident beyond sharing the clip of the exchange on X with the caption, “My question to Trump tonight.”

The interactions between the president and female journalists have become a significant point of discussion during his second term. Amy Tatum, a lecturer in communications and media at Bournemouth Media School, told Newsweek that the incident in Dallas marked an escalation.

“He physically dismisses her with his hand gestures but then proceeds to take a step towards her and leans closer in order to get her to stop talking,” Tatum said. “This fits the pattern of his behavior, but it also represents a new, even more aggressive level of behavior.”

The White House, however, maintains that the president is simply being direct. Olivia Wales, a White House spokesperson, told Newsweek, “President Trump is the most accessible president in American history. But when liberal reporters, male or female, ask biased questions, he calls them out and delivers his message without apology.” 

MS NOW also observed this, noting that the president’s verbal jabs often follow rigorous questioning regarding his policies. Additionally, while Trump has often clashed with reporters, his second term features many confrontations with women.

Per MS NOW in August, the president told CNN’s Kristen Holmes to “be quiet,” labeling her a “loud, boisterous person” after she questioned him about military exercises. Similarly, in May, the president called MS NOW’s Akayla Gardner “a dumb person” after she asked about the rising costs of a renovation project. The outlet noted that the jabs often targeted the demeanor or appearance of female reporters rather than just the substance of their questions.

Tatum told Newsweek that the president’s interaction with Scott has another problem. She pointed to the lack of shock from other reporters on the tarmac, which she believed suggests that such hostility has become a standard part of the presidential press environment. “This normalizes such aggressive behavior towards women and also sends a message to people watching that such behavior is acceptable,” she warned.