President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers during an Oval Office press appearance Friday after she pressed him about a $10 billion lawsuit he and his family filed against the Internal Revenue Service.
Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization filed suit Thursday against the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department over the unauthorized disclosure of partial tax returns by a former IRS contractor.
The president was taking questions from reporters following a signing event in the Oval Office when Travers attempted to question him about the lawsuit and why he was suing federal agencies within his own administration.
“Mr. President, why are you suing your own administration and the IRS?” Travers asked. “Why are you suing?”
Trump immediately turned his attention to the reporter and questioned her affiliation.
“Who are you with?” Trump asked.
“I’m with ABC News,” Travers replied.
“You’re a loud person,” Trump said. “Very loud. Let somebody else have a chance.”
Travers attempted to continue, again asking why Trump was suing the IRS.
NEW: President Trump clashes with an ABC News reporter during a heated exchange:
TRUMP: "Who are you with?"
REPORTER: "I'm with ABC News."
TRUMP: "You're a loud person. Very loud. Let somebody else have a chance."
REPORTER: "Can you answer the question, why are you suing the… pic.twitter.com/yqXXLfPcN3
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 30, 2026
“ABC fake news,” Trump said. “ABC fake news.”
As Travers tried to finish her question, Trump repeatedly cut her off.
“Go ahead. I didn’t call on you. Go ahead, please, go ahead,” he said. “Go ahead.”
Trump later added, “ABC, by the way, is truly one of the worst.”
The exchange unfolded as other reporters attempted to move on to different topics, including foreign policy. Trump then answered a question about upcoming negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, saying he believed talks could succeed without certain U.S. envoys present.
“I think they stand a chance,” Trump said, before pivoting to his broader record on diplomacy and claiming he had ended multiple wars.
The confrontation drew attention during live coverage, prompting Dana Bash to step in and explain the context of Travers’ question to viewers.
“What Karen Travers of ABC News was trying to ask the president was about the fact that he is suing the IRS and the Treasury Department — so the American taxpayer — for $10 billion because part of his tax return came out in the public,” Bash said. “So that’s what he didn’t want to answer.”
I really hate these rude reporters.
— Runz 🐾 🇺🇸 (@Runzwildnfree) January 31, 2026
No reporter can bully the No.1 President in the whole wide world!
— LORD BAELISH (@KOP_CHILD05) January 31, 2026
The lawsuit stems from the disclosure of Trump’s tax information by a former IRS contractor, who later pleaded guilty to leaking tax records of wealthy individuals. Trump and the other plaintiffs argue the disclosure violated federal confidentiality laws and caused severe reputational and financial harm.
In the complaint, Trump and his family accuse the IRS and Treasury Department of failing to safeguard sensitive taxpayer data and seek $10 billion in damages.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions Friday about Trump’s exchange with Travers or the substance of the lawsuit.
Trump has long accused legacy media outlets of bias and has frequently clashed with reporters during press events, particularly journalists from networks he labels as hostile to his administration.
ABC News did not issue an immediate statement addressing the exchange.
The heated moment added to a growing list of confrontations between Trump and members of the press corps during his second term, as the president continues to challenge both media scrutiny and legal actions tied to his finances and prior disclosures.
