WASHINGTON D.C., United States — The White House offered a defense of President Donald Trump on Thursday after he referred to a female reporter as “piggy” during a press exchange last week. The incident occurred as the reporter questioned him regarding the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In the exchange, which took place aboard Air Force One and has since gone viral, the reporter was pressing Trump about a recently released Epstein email in which the New York financier claimed Trump “knew about the girls.”
As she continued her line of questioning, Trump leaned toward her, pointed his finger, and instructed her:
Quiet, piggy”
White House defense
When questioned about the incident on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the President’s behavior, asserting that his remarks reflected his characteristic frankness and transparency, qualities she claimed American voters endorsed when they re-elected him.
“He calls out fake news when he sees it and gets frustrated with reporters who spread false information,” Leavitt said during a White House briefing, although she offered no evidence that the reporter had spread false information.
“But he also provides unprecedented access to the press and answers questions on a near-daily basis.”
History of disparaging language
The incident follows a similar confrontation on Tuesday in the Oval Office, where Trump called another female reporter “a terrible person.”
That exchange occurred after the journalist asked visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and subsequently asked Trump why he had resisted releasing the Epstein investigation files.
It is noteworthy that Trump signed legislation on Wednesday ordering the Justice Department to release documents from its long-running investigation into Epstein, despite his initial reluctance to make the files public.
Also Read: Trump sues Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for $10 billion over Epstein article
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) issued a statement condemning Trump’s use of demeaning language toward the reporters, highlighting his history of employing disparaging terms to discredit women.
The White House declined to offer any further comment beyond Leavitt’s earlier statement regarding the “piggy” remark.
Caroline Hendrie, SPJ Executive Director, criticized the behavior in her statement:
“Nobody expects presidents to be reporters’ biggest fans,” SPJ Executive Director Caroline Hendrie said. “But targeting women reporters with humiliating insults should not be tolerated.”
