President Donald Trump recently intensified personal criticism directed at a Reuters journalist, using his platform on Truth Social to share a photo of the reporter, Jacob Bogage. The post, following an exchange over minor changes to Trump’s campaign schedule, labeled Reuters as “one of the worst” and repeated Trump’s previous remarks about Bogage’s appearance, telling him to “put yourself in shape” and that he looked “like hell.” The post emerged after Bogage questioned Trump during a press briefing about how he felt after weeks on the campaign trail and asked if the cancellation of a Kansas trip was due to Trump being “sick of traveling.”
Trump dismissed the suggestion, addressing the reporter’s physical appearance and insisting that he felt “perfect” despite having been followed on the campaign trail. He denied any influence of health on his travel schedule, stating his belief that he initially did not need to campaign in Kansas.
The confrontation occurred in the final days of the midterm campaign, as Trump and the Republican Party aimed for one last push before the polls. During a midterm blitz, Trump organized 25 rallies across 19 states from October 1, stopping in locations like Texas, Kansas, Ohio, and others as Republicans strived to maintain their congressional majority. Initially, the Republican National Committee (RNC) announced cancellations of rallies in Kansas and Iowa, deciding instead on tele-rallies to connect with voters in nearly 20 states. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters indicated this strategy would enable Trump to reach a larger audience during the last “72-hour sprint.” Nevertheless, both rallies were eventually reinstated on the schedule.
These shifts happened as Kansas and Iowa hosted competitive Senate contests, threatening Republican control of Congress. With the current 53-47 Senate majority, all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats were at stake in the midterm election, making every state visit crucial.
Newsweek reached out to Reuters for comments but received no immediate response.
Trump’s Prior Clashes with Journalists
This encounter is the latest in a sequence of conflicts between Trump and various journalists during his second term. Earlier in the month, Trump rebuked journalists in the Oval Office, warning one to be cautious and accusing another of “something wrong” with them.
Moreover, Trump has criticized media outlets for what he sees as unfair coverage. In September, he restricted access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico on White House grounds, accusing them of spreading “fake news.” The affected outlets filed lawsuits, asserting that the bans violated the First Amendment and their rights to due process. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily halted the ban, directing the White House to restore press credentials. The outlets later amended their lawsuit, alleging continued exclusion from press-pool assignments in restricted areas. They requested the court to permanently restore their previous pool access.
The Associated Press (AP) has faced a similar challenge, disputing access limitations with the Trump administration over editorial decisions. The issue began when the AP used “Gulf of Mexico” instead of “Gulf of America,” leading to restricted access to certain events. The AP claimed the restrictions retaliated against its editorial choices.
A federal judge ruled in favor of the AP’s First Amendment claim, ordering restored access during ongoing proceedings. Nonetheless, an appeals court maintained the restrictions while litigation continued, with the case providing context for similar disputes involving CNN and others.
Reuters and the Huffington Post have not faced complete White House bans like CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, though they were excluded from covering Trump’s first Cabinet meeting in February 2025. Reuters was traditionally part of the presidential press pool, while HuffPost was replaced as the print pool reporter that day.
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