U.S. President Donald Trump reacted sharply to a reporter who pointed out his lukewarm response to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "Find a new job."
According to the political news outlet The Hill, the incident occurred on the 3rd (local time) immediately following a joint press conference between Trump and Polish President Karol Nawrocki in the Oval Office of the White House. Marek Bałucki, a reporter for Polish state radio in Washington, asked President Trump about his policies related to Russia. He noted, "You have expressed disappointment and frustration regarding President Putin several times, but your administration has taken no action related to the war in Ukraine."
In response to this question, President Trump reacted immediately. Interrupting, he asked, "How do you know there has been no action? Wait, where are you from?" When Bałucki replied, "Polish Radio," President Trump began to respond actively. He said, "Aside from China, India, the largest buyer of Russian oil, has faced secondary sanctions; can this be dismissed as no action?" He raised his voice, saying, "Due to that action, Russia suffered hundreds of billions of dollars in losses. But is this what you call no action? I haven't even started the second or third stage of measures yet."
Subsequently, President Trump continued to attack reporter Bałucki personally. He snapped, "If you say there are no actions, I think you should find a new job." Polish media outlet Onet reported that "the Polish reporter's question infuriated Trump."
According to local Polish media, Bałucki has been a veteran covering the White House since 2018. He has served as the president of the White House Correspondents' Association and authored four books about America and the White House.
He cleverly responded to President Trump's personal attack. Bałucki told The Hill in an interview, "I appreciate the president's advice," but noted, "Thanks to that question, I received a newsworthy response from the U.S. president, and that is my job as a reporter."
This is not the first encounter between the two. Bałucki asked a similar question during a White House meeting in February between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. At that time, he asked, "My friends in Poland are worried that you are too close to Putin. What message would you give them?"
This question instantly froze the previously amiable atmosphere of the meeting. As President Trump reacted intensely, then-Vice President JD Vance also intervened to pressure President Zelensky. Subsequently, the meeting deteriorated, leading to President Zelensky leaving the White House prematurely.