Trump Tells Female Reporter: 'You're Not Thinking, You Never Do'

An interaction between Donald Trump and a senior female reporter is drawing criticism.

White House correspondent Cecilia Vega attended the Rose Garden news conference as part of her job for ABC News.

As she turned to receive a microphone to ask Trump a question, he joked: "She's shocked that I picked her. Like in a state of shock."

"I'm not, thank you Mr. President," she responded.

Trump appeared to misunderstand her, believing her to say "I'm not thinking".

"I know you're not thinking, you never do," he said.

"I'm sorry?" Vega asked.

"No go ahead," he said.

Vega attempted to ask a question about the Brett Kavanaugh probe, but was rebuked by Trump, who wanted her to ask about the newly inked trade deal between the United States, Mexico and Canada (USMCA). He later returned to her for a question on Kavanaugh.

Afterwards, Vega tweeted that Trump's rebuke of her question was essentially a violation of the First Amendment.

"A news conference means you get to ask whatever question you want to ask," she said.

This tweet is unavailable or no longer exists.

Reporters have been praising Vega's professionalism, while others have been demanding that Vega deserves an apology.

During the conference, Trump also promised that a ban on "bump stocks" was coming, a year after the Las Vegas mass shooting.

"In order to eliminate -- terminate -- bump stocks, we have to go through procedure. We are now at the final stages of that procedure," he said, promising it would be wrapped up in "two or three weeks".

"We are knocking out bump stocks. I have told the NRA -- bump stocks are gone. But to do that, you have to go to public hearings, which we have had. You have to go through all sorts of regulatory control systems."

Contact the author: abrucesmith@networkten.com.au

Photo: AAP