Donald Trump and the White House are both under fire for the President’s behavior towards a female reporter. The president sparked public outrage after insulting a press member during a conversation that happened on Air Force One. Here’s how the White House’s defense made matters worse.
The interaction between Trump and Bloomberg White House correspondent Catherine Lucey has drawn a lot of public attention. Lucey was heard questioning the President about the Epstein files when the moment now circulating widely took place.
“If there’s nothing incriminating in the files, sir, why not—” the Bloomberg correspondent asked. Trump then proceeded to interrupt her while pointing at her and asserting, “Quiet! Quiet, piggy.”
His remark has drawn much criticism ever since. CNN anchor Jake Tapper and former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson criticized the President’s conduct and labelled it as “disgusting.”
“Disgusting and completely unacceptable,” Tapper wrote. “Pres Trump calling the reporter #MissPiggy is disgusting and degrading,” the Fox News host added. The White House stepped in to defend the President’s behavior, which only poured fuel on the fire.
“This reporter behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way toward her colleagues on the plane,” a White House official claimed in a conversation with the Daily Beast. “If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take,” they added.
A Bloomberg News spokesperson spoke to The Guardian while pointing out how the correspondents “perform a vital public service, asking questions without fear or favor.” They shared how the publication is focused on reporting “fairly and accurately.”
This isn’t the first time Trump lashed out at a female reporter. A similar scene unfolded at the Oval Office when ABC News’ Mary Bruce asked him about the Epstein files. He claimed that the reporter was questioning him with “anger and the meanness” which was “terrible” in his opinion.
“You go back and learn how to be a reporter. No more questions from you,” he added. This prompted several other correspondents to speak up against the President’s insult towards Bruce.
“My colleagues in the White House press corps, @marykbruce and @catherine_lucey, both do a great job,” Kaitlan Collins of CNN wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). In the past, many other members of the press have spoken up about Trump’s mistreatment of them.
Unsurprisingly, most of them happened to be women. Gail Collins, a columnist for The New York Times, revealed how Trump had called her a “dog and a liar” with “the face of a pig” in 2017.
