President Donald Trump called a journalist a 'sick person' during an Oval Office confrontation in Washington on 20 October 2026. The next day, the White House removed Andrew Feinberg, The Independent's White House correspondent, from a scheduled presidential press trip to Iowa. The decision prompted a complaint from the White House Correspondents' Association about retaliation against journalists.
The disagreement began during an announcement of new incentives for reporting suspected government fraud. Feinberg questioned why whistleblowers would use the scheme when existing legislation already provides financial rewards. Their exchange later turned personal as the reporter tried to ask further questions.
