President Donald Trump was unexpectedly struck in the mouth with a large boom microphone during a press conference at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday evening.
The incident occurred when the reporter, in an attempt to answer a question, accidentally smacked Trump with the microphone, which had a fuzzy cover.
Trump instinctively leaned back to avoid further contact with the equipment. Initially taken aback, Trump’s expression quickly changed as he raised both eyebrows and glared at the unidentified reporter. Some media outlets described his reaction as a “death stare.”
The female reporter, who had just made television, apologized profusely to Trump, who remarked, “She just made television tonight. She just became a big story tonight. Right? Did you see that?” A Secret Service agent, who was off-camera, confirmed Trump’s observation.
WATCH: Reporter accidentally pushes microphone into Trump’s face pic.twitter.com/NhswllZ0QW
— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) March 14, 2025
The video quickly gained global popularity, but the reporter and media outlet she worked for remained anonymous.
Social media users expressed skepticism about the reporter’s actions, suggesting that she should be removed from the press pool and potentially charged with assault.
Some called for the microphone to be tested for toxic substances, with some even speculating that it might be coated with deadly ricin or a nerve agent.
A nerve agent, such as the one that killed North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s half-brother in 2017, is extremely hazardous if it comes into contact with the mouth, nose, or eyes. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, seizures, and paralysis, which can lead to death within minutes or hours of exposure.
Ricin, another deadly substance, is also hazardous if ingested or inhaled. It works by preventing the body from producing proteins, causing symptoms such as swelling of the eyes and lips, lung irritation, sore throat, skin blisters, itchy, watery eyes, and difficulty breathing. Advanced symptoms can include respiratory failure, organ failure, and death.
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