We all know Trump’s feelings towards the press. He doesn’t have any patience for them.
And President Trump put this reporter on blast in a tense Oval Office exchange.
Trump’s Clash with Reporter Over Qatar’s Gifted Jet
In a heated Oval Office exchange on Wednesday, President Donald Trump unleashed a torrent of criticism at NBC News reporter Peter Alexander, branding him an “idiot” and a “jerk” for questioning the Pentagon’s acceptance of a lavish jet from Qatar.
The confrontation unfolded during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where tensions were already high after Trump screened a five-minute video alleging crimes against white South African farmers.
Alexander’s inquiry about the $400 million “palace in the sky” aircraft, intended as a temporary stand-in for the aging Air Force One fleet, sparked Trump’s ire. “Why are you talking about that? What are you asking that for? You know, you oughta get out of here,” Trump snapped, dismissing the question as irrelevant.
“What does this have to do with the Qatar jet? They’re giving the United States Air Force a jet. Okay? And it’s a great thing.”
The president accused Alexander and NBC of sidestepping the serious issues raised in the video. “We’re talking about a lot of other things. Is NBC trying to get off the subject of what you just saw?” Trump asked pointedly, before escalating his attack.
“You are a real — you know, you’re a terrible person,” he fumed. “Number one, you don’t have what it takes to be a reporter. You’re not smart enough.”
Trump didn’t stop there, urging Alexander to “go back to your studio at NBC” and taking aim at the network’s leadership. “Because [Comcast Chairman] Brian Roberts and the people that run that place, they ought to be investigated. They are so terrible the way they run that network,” he charged.
When Alexander attempted to pivot to Trump’s claims of white South African “genocide,” the president cut him off, calling him “a disgrace.” As other reporters vied for their questions, Trump continued to rant, referring to Alexander as “a terrible reporter.”
Undeterred, Alexander pressed on, asking, “If they’re committing genocide, why invite [Ramaphosa] to the White House?” Trump responded curtly, “Quiet, quiet,” before moving to another journalist.
The president’s frustration lingered. Minutes later, after addressing the South African allegations alongside Ramaphosa, Trump returned to Alexander’s jet query.
“If the news wasn’t fake, like NBC, which is fake news … if they weren’t fake news like this jerk that we have here,” he said while pointing at Alexander, “if we had real reporters, they’d be covering it.”
Trump doubled down, mocking Alexander’s focus on the jet. “There are all white farmers being buried and he asks about a jet that was given. You oughtta be ashamed of yourself. You are so bad, you’re such a bad reporter,” he said.
“‘So why did they give us a plane to the United States Air Force?’ That’s what that idiot talks about after viewing a thing where thousands of people are dead.”
Attempting to lighten the mood, Ramaphosa quipped, “I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you.” Trump, seizing the moment, replied, “I wish you did. If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it.”
You can watch the exchange between Trump and the NBC reporter, below:
President Trump nukes NBC Reporter Peter Alexander for asking about the Qatari jet after playing a video showing claims of genocide in South Africa:
— Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) May 21, 2025
"It's NBC trying to get off the subject of what you just saw. You're a TERRIBLE reporter. You're a disgrace. You don't have what… pic.twitter.com/0TjNf0EwYg
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