Trump insults yet another Black female reporter over cost of White House ballroom: ‘You dumb person!’

The president lost it on MS Now White House Correspondent Akayla Gardner when challenged on the rising costs of his $400 million ballroom and the historic reflecting pool at the National Mall.

President Donald Trump hurled personal insults at yet another Black female reporter after she questioned him about the cost of his major renovations to the White House and the National Mall.

While taking questions at the White House on Tuesday, before heading to China for a consequential bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping, Trump lost it on MS Now White House Correspondent Akayla Gardner when she challenged him on the rising costs of his $400 million ballroom and the historic reflecting pool at the National Mall.

Gardner noted that Trump has repeatedly called for the firing of Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jerome Powell, whom he has accused of overseeing an over-budget renovation of the Bank’s headquarters. Trump has also publicly called out Powell for not lowering interest rates, as the president faces political blowback for rising costs.

However, as Gardner points out, the high-profile renovation projects led by President Trump have also reportedly gone over budget. The cost of the White House ballroom was initially set at $200 million, but has ballooned to more than $400 million; meanwhile, Trump’s latest repainting of the bottom of the reflecting pool will reportedly cost more than $13 million, despite previously claiming that it would cost $1.8 million.

“I asked @POTUS how the rising price of his ballroom (nearly x2 original estimate) and reflecting pool makeover (x7 original estimate) are any different than why he wanted to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell for 30% cost overruns,” Gardner wrote on X.

I asked @POTUS how the rising price of his ballroom (nearly x2 original estimate) and reflecting pool makeover (x7 original estimate) are any different than why he wanted to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell for 30% cost overruns.

Here’s his response: pic.twitter.com/Qpm1VrBK61— Akayla Gardner (@gardnerakayla) May 12, 2026

“So what happened is we have a ballroom that’s under budget. It’s going up right here. I’ve doubled the size of it because we obviously need that, and we’re right now on budget, under budget and ahead of schedule,” said Trump, contradicting himself.

Trump’s response to Gardner quickly turned personal. As Gardner followed up with another question, Trump added, “I doubled the size of it. You dumb person…you are not a smart person.”

President Trump’s personal attack on Gardner is part of a pattern in which he has verbally accosted female reporters, most especially Black female reporters. Just days ago, Trump called ABC News White House Correspondent Rachel Scott a “stupid person” when she asked him why he was focusing so much on renovating the reflecting pool at a time when Americans are struggling to pay for rising gas prices amid his ongoing war in Iran. The president had taken the press with him as he drove through the renovation currently underway.

“You can understand dirt maybe better than I can, but I don’t allow it,” Trump told Scott. “This is one of the worst reporters. She’s with ABC Fake News, and she’s a horror show. A question like that is a disgrace to our country.”

In response to Trump’s personal attack on Scott, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) issued a statement condemning Trump’s years-long pattern of attacking Black journalists like Yamiche Alcindor, Abby Phillip, and April Ryan.

“NABJ will always defend the ability of Black journalists to do their jobs fully, freely and safely,” said NABJ President Errin Haines. “When Black women journalists are targeted, insulted or demeaned for asking legitimate questions, it is not only an attack on them personally – it is an attack on the role of a free press in our democracy. We will not allow our members or our profession to be diminished for doing the work the public depends on.”