Donald Trump marked Halloween by ranting at a reporter who asked about his health before handing out sweets to children.
The US president and First Lady Melania greeted visitors at the annual White House Halloween party, with the pair giving sweets to trick-or-treaters while an orchestra played ghoulish music.
But even the spooky distraction couldn’t turn attention away from Trump’s decision to cancel his rallies in Kansas and Iowa.
The decision raised eyebrows – and questions about POTUS’s health that didn’t go down well with the 80-year-old.
When Reuters’ reporter Jacob Bogage asked Trump if the move had ‘something to do with you being sick of travelling,’ the president lashed out, telling the journalist he in fact is ‘sick.’
Trump said: ‘Oh, you’re sick to ask that question.
‘You are sick. Who are you with?’
After Bogage responded, the president continued his tirade, saying the reporter is ‘a sick guy’ and that Reuters is ‘terrible.’
‘Well, we just want to make sure you’re doing well,’ the reporter said, which appeared to have provoked the president.
Trump, visibly sweating, replied: ‘Can you imagine — look at this dope, look at this guy, he’s way out of shape.
‘Look at how badly — he comes to me, “Sir, you’re not gonna go to Kansas.” I’m not going to go to Kansas because he’s doing very well.’
Trump is the oldest person to become the president of the United States after his second inauguration, and his physical and mental health has been in the spotlight for years.
But despite him repeatedly bragging about being top shape, he has appeared with several issues, including a large bruise on his hand and nodding off during engagements.
The decision to cancel the Kansas and Iowa rallies ahead of the US mid-term elections comes after Trump had previously boasted about the impact his presence has on candidates’ chances.
But yesterday he announced that he didn’t ‘feel like I have to go to Kansas’ and that the Republican candidate is ‘doing very well.’
Trump has been on the campaign trail over the past month, holding 25 rallies, including one with singer Nicki Minaj, who has been jokingly billed as the next White House press secretary.
He has admitted that the back-to-back events have not been ‘easy,’ telling reporters on Monday with a hoarse voice that ‘God didn’t make your vocal cords to do a rally every day.’
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