President Donald Trump confronted a Wall Street Journal journalist on Air Force One on Sunday, May 4, after being questioned about his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The tense interaction occurred during Trump’s flight from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The incident started when Trump inquired about the journalist’s media affiliation, a method he often uses during his second term.
Upon learning the journalist was from The Wall Street Journal, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the newspaper. His displeasure seemed to arise from what he considers biased reporting by the conservative-leaning outlet on his administration.
“That’s what I thought. Boy, you people treat us so badly. Wall Street Journal has truly gone to hell. Go ahead, yeah. Rotten newspaper. You hear me? What I said? It’s a rotten newspaper,” Trump told the journalist in a moment captured on video.
Although initially permitting the journalist to continue with the question, Trump later declined to answer inquiries about his talks with Putin regarding peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine.
The president remarked that he would not waste time with The Wall Street Journal, accusing the publication of being “China-oriented” and harmful to American interests.
This incident marks the latest episode in the ongoing tension between Trump and the Rupert Murdoch-owned publication. Despite its traditionally conservative stance, The Wall Street Journal has criticized several of Trump’s policies since his return to office.
The newspaper’s editorial board has been notably critical of Trump’s trade policies and tariffs, which it has labeled as the “Dumbest Trade War in History” and warned could “sink his Presidency.”
In response to these criticisms, Trump has previously stated that he doesn’t “understand” the editorial board and has described their thinking as “antiquated and weak.”
The Wall Street Journal has maintained its position despite Trump’s criticisms, continuing to describe his tariffs as “the biggest economic policy mistake in decades” and urging the president to negotiate a swift end to what they call his “tariff barrage.”
Trump’s exchange with the reporter is part of a pattern of contentious interactions with the press during his second administration. Just weeks earlier, he had a similar encounter with Washington Post reporter Michael Birnbaum, who questioned whether Putin’s actions in Ukraine showed disrespect towards Trump during ongoing peace talks.
In that instance, Trump told Birnbaum that the Washington Post had “lost a lot of credibility” before taking one of his questions.
The latest confrontation comes amid Trump’s continued efforts to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine. Recently, there have been discussions about different peace proposals, one supported by Ukraine and its European allies and another backed by the Trump administration.
Diplomatic sources indicate Trump’s proposal reportedly included acknowledging Russian control of Crimea, providing “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine, preventing Kyiv from joining NATO, and lifting sanctions against Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders have been advocating for a plan that would start with a ceasefire followed by territorial negotiations, with Kyiv receiving defense guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5.
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky rose in February when the two leaders had a heated exchange during a White House meeting, which ended with Zelensky being asked to leave the premises.
Trump has consistently shown confidence in his relationship with Putin to resolve the conflict, despite ongoing Russian military activities in Ukraine. Last month, he claimed on social media that Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal” and urged both sides to meet “at very high levels” to finalize an agreement.
The administration’s strategy regarding the Russia-Ukraine war has faced criticism from both domestic political opponents and international allies, who have raised concerns that Trump’s proposed peace terms might be overly favorable to Moscow.
Trump’s confrontational approach with mainstream media outlets, including those traditionally aligned with conservative views like The Wall Street Journal, remains a hallmark of his presidential communication style as he handles complex international negotiations and domestic policy issues.