President Donald Trump criticized Reuters White House reporter Jacob Bogage during a Thursday, Oct. 29, exchange, as Republican officials shifted campaign events to phone rallies before the Nov. 3 midterms.
The White House video shows Bogage first asking about Trump’s health, then raising Kansas. He asked, “So you not going to Kansas have nothing to do with you being sick of traveling?” Trump replied, “You are a sick guy!” He also disparaged Reuters, criticized Bogage’s appearance and said he felt well.
Trump added, “I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas,” saying Republican Sen. Roger Marshall was doing “very well.”
The campaign schedule had placed an in-person event in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday, Oct. 31, and another in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, Nov. 1; both were canceled. The Republican National Committee (RNC) said Trump would join phone rallies instead, with the aim of reaching voters in nearly 20 states. The committee also described Republican prospects in Kansas and Iowa as strong.
Reuters reported that Trump had held 25 rallies in 19 states since Oct. 1, as of Thursday, Oct. 29. The Associated Press reported that Trump planned to travel to Florida on Friday, Oct. 30.
Hindustan Times reported that Reuters colleagues Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw, as well as journalists at other outlets, posted supportive messages after the exchange. The outlet quoted Bose saying Bogage “did his job exceedingly well today.” The posts have not been independently confirmed.
The midterm elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.
