US President Donald Trump was inadvertently struck in the face by a boom microphone Friday as he fielded questions from reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
The fuzzy end of the extended microphone – sometimes referred to as a “dead cat” in the industry – struck the US president in the mouth and slid across part of his face as he closed his eyes and leaned back to avoid further contact.
Trump, 78, glared at the reporter and raised both eyebrows in apparent amusement as the mic was quickly pulled away.
“She just made television tonight,” the president quipped, apparently referring to the clumsy reporter. “She just became a big story tonight.”
“Did you see that?” Trump asked someone off camera, laughing off the incident.
It’s unclear which media outlet the boom mic operator works for.
The devices, though intrusive, come in handy for picking up audio when the president is near the noisy engines of the presidential plane and helicopter.
Trump fielded several more questions after the jab before boarding Air Force One.
Minutes before the boom mic episode, the president had a minor stumble as he climbed the steps of Marine One on the White House lawn.
Trump was helping X, the four-year old son of DOGE chief Elon Musk, board the helicopter when his right foot got snagged below the first step.
The president caught himself and quickly walked up the rest of the steps.
