Donald Trump Appears To Direct Profane Slur 'Bitch' At Reporter Rachel Scott After Tense Questions On Iran And Gas

US President Trump stirred public outrage after appearing to direct a profane insult at ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott following a heated exchange over rising gas prices and tensions involving Iran during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Thursday.

During the heated exchange, ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott questioned why the administration was focusing attention on cosmetic improvement projects while Americans were dealing with economic pressure linked to the conflict in Iran.

Trump Defends D.C. Cleanup Projects As Clash With Reporter Escalates

'Mr President, you are here against the backdrop of the war in Iran. Why focus on all these projects right now? We're still seeing gas prices soaring?' Scott asked Trump.

Trump reacted sharply, defending the work at the Reflecting Pool and arguing that maintaining national landmarks was part of preserving the country.

'You know why? Because I want to keep our country beautiful and safe. Beautiful also,' Trump responded before launching into a lengthy defense of the administration's cleanup and restoration efforts in Washington, D.C., describing parts of the city as 'dirty' and 'disgusting' before the government stepped in with beautification initiatives.

'You probably don't see dirt, but I do. And if you were to walk down this—this pond... they had to take 11 or 12 truckloads of garbage out of that lake, out of that water,' he added.

Trump continued, 'That's such a stupid question that you asked. We're fixing up the reflecting pond. to the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and you say, 'Why are you fixing it up?' Because you can understand dirt, maybe, better than I can, but I don't allow it,' he stated, criticising her directly during the interaction.

The exchange was far from over after these statements by the president, continuing to talk about Scott. He went on with his tirade, calling her 'one of the worst reporters' and a 'horror show.' 'She's saying, 'Why would you bother fixing this up?' Why would I bother taking 11 or 12 truckloads of filth out of the water in front of the Lincoln monument,' he remarked, calling the question 'a disgrace to our country,' per The Daily Beast.

Viral Hot-Mic Moment Draws Attention

The controversy escalated after video from the event spread online. As he walked away from the reporters, cameras captured what appeared to be Trump muttering the word 'bitch' in Scott's direction. While no clear audio confirmed the remark, several media outlets and social media users interpreted the footage as showing Trump making the insult.

The clip swiftly started circulating across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Reddit, where users debated whether the president had indeed used the slur.

Neither Trump nor the White House issued a formal clarification regarding the alleged comment. ABC News also has yet to publicly release additional information about the heated exchange.

Questions Focused on Iran and Economic Pressure

The heated exchange between Trump and Scott came as the administration's handling of tensions involving Iran and the resulting economic effects continuously face scrutiny. Recent reports have shown concerns over increasing oil and gas prices connected to instability around the Strait of Hormuz and the regional conflict.

Scott's question to Trump appeared to centre on whether the administration's priorities were aligned with the concerns of ordinary Americans facing higher fuel costs and uncertainty tied to the international situation.

The president responded by arguing that keeping public spaces clean and restored was also an important responsibility of government.