President Donald Trump Lashes Out at Reporter for Asking Why Senate Is Still in Session Despite Summer Recess: 'What a Stupid Question'

President Donald Trump fired back at a journalist on board Air Force One for prying into his dealings with the United States Senate.

On July 27, the reporter questioned why the president had chosen to keep the Senate in session rather than allow members to leave Washington, D.C., for their typical summer recess.

"On the Senate, on the SAVE Act, why do you want the U.S. Senate to stay in town?" she asked. "Shouldn’t they be out across the country campaigning?"

Trump brushed off the questions as "stupid," at first refusing to give any further details, per Mediaite.

"What a stupid question," he said, outraged, prompting the reporter to repeat the latter part of their query.

"What a stupid question," Trump repeated before calling out the reporter by name. "For Jennifer to ask such a stupid question — and she’s a smart person. I knew her all the way back in the Iowa days when she said Trump’s going to win, and boy was she right."

"So listen, why do I want it? The SAVE Act has to be done," he finally elaborated. "They shouldn’t leave town. I’m not going to stop them from doing it, but they should get the SAVE Act done."

The SAVE Act, or the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is a proposition to change how Americans register to vote in national elections.

The bill passed the House of Representatives multiple times but is being held up as it is debated in the Senate.

"If they don’t get it done, it’s going to be a very bad thing for the party," the president added. "And frankly, you know, if you look at it, the SAVE Act is going to be voted against by all Democrats, just so we know."

Trump introduced the bill to ensure that non-citizens do not vote in federal elections.

While it has been a federal offense for non-citizens to vote in U.S. elections since 1996, voting this into law would require citizens to register to vote in person while presenting qualifying documents, according to Vote.org.

Both mail registration and online registration would be upended.

Many Democrats in the Senate opposed the bill over concerns that it would decrease voter registration numbers and make registration inaccessible.

"We have some Republicans that I will not comment on, a few of them, probably four, that we probably won’t get the vote. I’d like to comment on them, but I have too much sense to do it," Trump concluded.

Trump was on his way to a General Motors plant in Michigan while reporters questioned him. The president is expected to make remarks on the economy while he is there.

He originally demanded that Senate Majority Leader John Thune cancel the August recess on social media the morning of July 27.

"John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to 'leave town' until it passes The Save America Act, or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILLIBUSTER," he wrote. "Where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep-throated SAVE AMERICA ACT."