US President Donald Trump on Thursday angrily confronted a reporter who questioned whether health concerns or exhaustion from his demanding campaign schedule had prompted him to cancel a planned rally in Kansas.
The exchange took place after the Republican National Committee (RNC) announced that two of Trump's remaining in-person campaign rallies, scheduled to be held in Kansas and Iowa, would no longer go ahead as planned.
Dismissing suggestions that his health or the strain of travelling had influenced the decision, Trump insisted that he was feeling well. He made the remarks after returning to Washington from a campaign trip to South Carolina.
Trump Calls Reporter ‘Disgusting’ Over Health Question
“You’re sick to ask that question. You are sick,” Trump told the reporter. “You’ve been following me for two weeks. I feel perfect. You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell.”
The US President's sharp response came amid questions about the cancellation of the planned rallies and whether his demanding schedule had begun taking a toll.
During a rally in South Carolina earlier, Trump had acknowledged that his packed schedule of campaign appearances had left him somewhat hoarse.
However, he rejected the suggestion that health concerns or campaign fatigue were behind the decision to abandon the Kansas event.
RNC Replaces Kansas, Iowa Rallies With Virtual Events
The RNC said the planned rallies in Kansas and Iowa would be replaced by a series of virtual campaign appearances, known as 'telerallies'.
According to the party, Trump would participate in a large number of such events across several states to support Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
“With Republicans in a strong position in Kansas and Iowa, previously planned in-person rallies in those states will no longer take place as scheduled,” the RNC said in a statement.
Trump To Hold Final In-Person Rally In Florida
Following the changes, Trump's final in-person election rally is scheduled to take place in Florida on Friday.
The President also plans to campaign remotely for several Republican candidates as the midterm elections approach. Among those he intends to support is Kansas Senator Roger Marshall.
The shift to virtual appearances will allow Trump to continue campaigning for Republican candidates in multiple states without holding the previously scheduled in-person rallies.