White House responds after Trump said ‘quiet piggy’ to reporter during interview

Donald Trump sparked backlash after calling a reporter a “piggy” during a tense exchange aboard Air Force One.

The incident happened on November 14 as Trump traveled to his Mar-A-Lago resort for the weekend, accompanied by members of the press, including Bloomberg journalist Catherine Lucey.

While in flight, Lucey asked the president whether the newly released Epstein emails contained anything incriminating, a question that visibly irritated him.

Trump pointed at her and snapped, “Quiet. Quiet, piggy,” before adding, “You are the worst… I don’t know why they even have you.” His remarks quickly circulated online, drawing widespread criticism.

Bloomberg responded by defending Lucey, stating that their reporters ask essential questions without hesitation and remain committed to accurate, fair coverage. Meanwhile, a White House official attempted to justify Trump’s behavior, claiming Lucey had acted unprofessionally toward fellow journalists, though no specifics were offered.

The confrontation came shortly after the Oversight Committee released documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. When asked about an email suggesting Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls,” the president firmly denied any wrongdoing, insisting investigators would have revealed something long ago and deflecting attention toward Epstein’s connections with other high-profile figures.

Despite being named in leaked emails, Trump has continued to deny involvement in Epstein’s crimes. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later accused Democrats of leaking information to create a false narrative and distract from the administration’s recent achievements.