Trump Dresses Down ‘Third-Rate Reporter’ Who Questioned Him About ‘Demolishing the East Wing’

President Donald Trump slammed Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason as a “third-rate reporter” on Wednesday, after Mason asked the president to respond to critics who have said “you haven’t been transparent enough about” the demolition of the East Wing in order to make room for a new ballroom.

Trump ripped Mason in front of other reporters and on live TV while taking questions at the White House.

“I haven’t been transparent? Really?” Trump said incredulously.

He continued: “I’ve shown this to everybody that would listen. Third-rate reporters didn’t see it because they didn’t look. You’re a third-rate reporter, always have been.”

“I’m just asking—” Mason could be heard faintly saying in the background.

“So third-rate reporters didn’t look, but anybody that asked, these pictures have been in newspapers, they’ve been all over the place, and you know, we’re very proud of it,” Trump continued. “It’s gotten great reviews. It’s gotten really great reviews.”

Trump, as he spoke, flashed mockup pictures of the very golden ballroom being built.

“I think we’ve been more transparent than anybody’s ever been,” he added.

Trump’s response came to a follow-up question from Mason, who had asked the president about the ballroom a minute before. Mason said “many people were surprised the entire East Wing is being demolished,” considering Trump had said it would not be completely destroyed initially.

Trump jumped in to say that, after a “tremendous amount of study with some of the best architects in the world,” that “really knocking it down” was the best plan for building the ballroom.

He added there was “not much left” from the original East Wing, which was built in 1902 and renovated 40 years later, and that some of its more recent updates were “not particularly nice.”

The president’s comments come a day after he joked that the “beautiful sound of construction” being done on the new ballroom “reminded me of money” — even if it was money being spent.

“Ooh, that’s music to my ears. I love that sound,” Trump said, while holding his hand up to his right ear.

Trump has championed the fact that taxpayers are not paying for a dime of the $250 million ballroom. Instead, it is being funded by private donors and donations from companies like Apple and Amazon.

Not every American has been thrilled with Trump’s revamp, though. Rivals like Hillary Clinton and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) have complained about the ballroom, with Clinton saying on Tuesday that Trump was “destroying” the White House.

Watch above via CNN.