President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter Thursday for refuting his claims that Afghan migrants who entered the United States were unvetted, calling the reporter a “stupid person” in an explosive rant.
“There was no vetting or anything, they came in unvetted! And we have a lot of others in this country, we're going to get them out,” Trump said during a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida.
The press conference comes in the wake of the deadly shooting Wednesday in Washington, D.C. where an Afghan migrant shot two National Guard members, one of whom succumbed to their injuries Thursday evening. Afghan migrants were, in fact, vetted by the Department of Homeland Security upon entry, despite Trump’s claims.
One reporter moved to call Trump out on his false claim, ultimately sparking his wrath.
“Actually, your DOJ, [inspector general] just reported this year that there was thorough vetting by DHS and by the FBI of these Afghans who were brought into the U.S., so why do you blame the Biden administration for what this man did?”
“Because they let him in! Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?” Trump lashed out.
“Because they came in on a plane along with thousands of other people who shouldn't be here, and you're just asking questions because you're a stupid person! And – we – there's a law passed that it's almost possible to get them out once they come in.”
A number of conservative lawmakers and members of the Trump administration have laid blame for the shooting on the Biden administration, including Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and FBI Director Kash Patel.
“You’re a stupid person” — Trump lashes out at a reporter who presses him on the fact that the suspected DC shooter was actually thoroughly vetted before he was let in the US from Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/1mOPMGQeJO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 28, 2025