If you’ve ever seen a video of Donald Trump speaking with reporters, you know that the general tone he expects is one of lowball questions and comments that don’t paint him in a negative light. Since there are new videos of Trump talking to the press almost every day, it’s not a total shock that, when he bites back, those clips tend to cause the most discussion.
Unsurprisingly, Trump clapped back to an Australian reporter outside of the White House when he asked Trump president about his “business activity” outside of being the sitting president in a TikTok clip.
Instead of answering the question in a way that explains things a little more and would, oh I don’t know, shed light on Trump’s day-to-day for his critics, he took the opportunity to talk down to the reporter and reprimand him for not having the right “tone.”
Trump said an Australian reporter is “hurting Australia.”
@sbsnews_au US President Donald Trump has clashed with an Australian journalist during a tense exchange outside the White House, warning him that his questions were “hurting Australia” and vowing to raise the matter directly with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The confrontation came after the ABC's Americas editor, John Lyons, asked the president about his "business activity". "In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now," Trump said before telling the reporter to be "quiet". Read more @sbsnews_au ♬ original sound – SBS News
In the clip, the Australian reporter asks Trump if it is “appropriate” for him to spend so much time on his businesses. And, to be fair, Trump was a businessman long before he ever entered the political arena.
He even took time out of his busy presidential schedule to travel to Scotland in July 2025 for a golf course opening. So the reporter’s question about Trump’s time management while juggling several jobs makes sense.
For Trump, however, the question did not make sense. At all. In fact, according to Trump in the clip from the quick press Q&A at the White House, the reporter failed to set a “nicer tone.”
“My kids are running the business, I’m here,” Trump says in the clip. “You know what the activity… Where are you from?” After the reporter explains he is from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Four Corners series, Trump says, “Well, the Australians. You’re hurting Australia, right? In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now. And they want to get along with me. You know, your leader is coming over to see me very soon. I’m gonna tell him about you. You set a very bad tone.”
He then says, “You can set a nicer tone” and tells the reporter, with a pointed finger, “Quiet.”
If I’m not mistaken, no president in history has ever had a gaggle of reporters dole out questions that were complimentary at all times and easy for the sitting president to answer.
Unfortunately for those who continue to question Trump, that seems to be what he expects. And his critics fear this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Did he just threaten a whole country with retaliation because of a question?” Someone commented on the TikTok video. “As an American, I’m so embarrassed.”
Another user wrote, “Threatening a journalist for asking a question.”
Others commented about Trump’s failure to actually answer the question, except of course for his first line about his kids handling his businesses while he works at the White House. Which, again, is a shaky response at best.
