Former President Donald Trump got into a heated argument with Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey while flying on Air Force One. She was asking him questions about Jeffrey Epstein and the files connected to the case. Trump did not like the questions and ended up insulting her in front of everyone on the plane.
The Telegraph reported that Lucey asked Trump about emails in which Epstein claimed Trump knew about “the girls.” Trump avoided giving a direct answer. Instead he started talking about Democrats who had been linked to Epstein. When Lucey pressed him again and asked why he would not release the Epstein files himself, Trump became angry.
He pointed his finger at her face and said “quiet quiet piggy.” Then he stopped taking her questions and moved on to other reporters. Videos of the interaction spread quickly online and many people criticized how Trump behaved.
The tension did not stop when the plane landed in West Palm Beach. Lucey attempted to ask Trump whether he supported Tucker Carlson interviewing white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Trump cut her off. He told her she was the worst. He said he did not know why Bloomberg kept her on staff and even said she should be fired.
Lucey is an experienced political reporter. She joined Bloomberg in 2017. Before that she covered the White House for the Wall Street Journal and wrote about major policy issues. She is known for asking direct questions and doing careful reporting.
This was not the only clash Trump had with a female reporter during the week. He recently yelled at Mary Bruce from ABC News. She had asked why Trump was waiting for Congress to release the Epstein files when he could release them himself. Trump called her a terrible person and a terrible reporter. He also said ABC should lose its broadcasting license. He made those comments during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The White House tried to defend Trump’s behavior. A spokesperson said Lucey was the one acting poorly and that journalists should be able to handle being insulted by the president. This defense only made more people upset. Many press freedom groups spoke out against Trump’s actions. Trump has a long history of threatening legal action against news organizations.
This is also not the first time Trump has used the word “piggy” as an insult. Alicia Machado, who won Miss Universe at age nineteen, once said Trump used to call her “Miss Piggy” when he owned part of the pageant. Even with growing backlash, Trump still seems determined to go after the press in his own way.