Thanksgiving Flashpoint: White House Reporter Hit with ‘Stupid Person’ Insult During Mar-a-Lago Presser
Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day for pausing the political theater, gathering with family, and focusing on gratitude. But for one seasoned White House reporter, the holiday ended with a scorching, on-camera exchange that sent a fresh shockwave through the press corps and the nation.
The highly public spat occurred on Thursday, November 27, 2025, at Mar-a-Lago, the President’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida. Following a video call with U.S. service members, President Donald Trump took questions from reporters on a topic that has dominated headlines: the fatal shooting of a National Guard member in Washington, D.C., allegedly by an Afghan national.
The exchange was centered on the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and the security vetting process for Afghan refugees brought into the United States following the 2021 withdrawal from Kabul. The President repeatedly claimed the suspect, who entered the country under a Biden administration program, had been improperly vetted.
That is where CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Nancy Cordes stepped in. She challenged the President’s assertion, citing official government reports. “Your DOJ IG just reported this year that there was thorough vetting by DHS and by the FBI of these Afghans who were brought into the U.S.,” Cordes stated. “So why do you blame the Biden administration?”
The President’s response was swift and dismissive, delivered with clear irritation. “Because they let ’em in,” he said, before immediately turning the attack on the reporter. “Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?”
The comment drew immediate, widespread condemnation from journalistic organizations and observers who noted the pattern of hostility from the administration toward female reporters. This was not an isolated incident. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, other prominent female journalists had been subjected to similarly harsh personal attacks during press availabilities.
While the President pointed the finger at his predecessor’s policies, the specifics of the case complicate his narrative. Reports indicate that Lakanwal, who had worked closely with the CIA as part of a counterterrorism unit in Afghanistan, had his asylum application granted by the Trump administration in April 2025, months after the start of the President’s second term. This key detail formed the basis of the reporter’s question and brought the vetting issue squarely into the current administration’s purview, suggesting the situation is far more nuanced than a simple blame-shift.
In the aftermath of the viral clip, the incident became a vivid example of the combative relationship between the White House and the press, a dynamic that has long defined this presidency. While the White House sought to frame the President’s bluntness as “respectful” candor, journalists’ organizations were quick to condemn the language as part of a troubling strategy to undermine the press. The heated exchange over national security and immigration policy, right in the middle of a national holiday, served as a stark reminder that the tensions of Washington rarely take a day off.