President Donald Trump’s interactions with reporters during two separate press availabilities drew widespread attention this week after he told Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey “quiet, piggy” aboard Air Force One and later criticized ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce during a White House meeting. The exchanges occurred as both journalists pressed the president on matters of public interest, including the Epstein files and U.S. intelligence findings on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
The first incident took place Friday while Trump answered questions from reporters traveling with him. Lucey attempted to follow up on a previous inquiry related to the Epstein files, asking why the president would not release the documents if they contained nothing incriminating regarding him or his allies. Trump responded by interrupting her, pointing toward her and saying, “Quiet — quiet, piggy.” The video gained broad circulation online, leading to extensive public discussion about the interaction.
On Tuesday, the White House offered a defense of the president’s remarks. A spokesperson said, “This reporter behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way toward her colleagues on the plane.” The spokesperson added, “If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take.” The statement did not provide additional detail about the claim. In response, Bloomberg issued its own comment stating, “Our White House journalists perform a vital public service, asking questions without fear or favor. We remain focused on reporting issues of public interest fairly and accurately.”
Observers also noted that other reporters present during the exchange did not react immediately. According to HuffPost’s reporting, the lack of response may have been an “attempt to avoid losing further access,” reflecting the difficulty journalists can face when confronted with unexpected presidential remarks in constrained settings such as a plane cabin.
Another exchange followed days later when Trump appeared with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. During the event, Bruce asked about U.S. intelligence’s conclusion that the crown prince had “orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist,” referring to Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump interrupted her question by saying, “You’re mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial.” He continued, “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about. Whether you like him, or didn’t like him, things happen. But [bin Salman] knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that.” Trump then told her, “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”
Bruce later attempted to ask a separate question regarding the Epstein files. Trump again criticized her approach. “I think you are a terrible reporter,” he said. He added that he did not like her “attitude.” Trump then told her, “You ought to go back and learn how to be a reporter. No more questions from you.”
The sequence of interactions reflected an escalation in tone as the questions shifted from foreign policy concerns to matters involving the Epstein files. In both cases, Trump moved away from addressing the subject of the question and focused on criticizing the reporter asking it. Throughout the week, commentators pointed to patterns in how the president has historically spoken to female journalists during contentious moments.
Public records show several earlier examples. During a 2015 Republican primary debate, Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly questioned Trump about his past comments on women. Trump answered, “What I say is what I say.” In a later interview he said he had “zero respect” for Kelly, described her as “highly overrated” and referred to her as having “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her, wherever.” In 2017, New York Times columnist Gail Collins wrote that Trump had returned her articles with handwritten messages, calling her a “dog and a liar” and stating she had “the face of a pig.”
Experts who study media and communication note that these remarks are consistent with ongoing tension between the administration and members of the press. Ava Thompson Greenwell, a professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, described Trump’s language toward female journalists as “what we would call a micro-assault.” She explained, “It’s not subtle at all. It’s direct, it’s in your face, it’s a tongue lashing, it’s meant to cause harm.”
Commentary also addressed broader implications for reporting on sensitive subjects. In an analysis for The Atlantic, Isabel Fattal wrote that Trump’s “vitriol against those exercising their First Amendment rights is not limited to women,” but she added that “his comments to female reporters, however, have another through line: Why can’t you just be silent like a woman should?”
The exchanges with Lucey and Bruce also intersected with ongoing public questions surrounding the Epstein files and the role of Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggi’s killing. Each reporter sought clarification about the president’s position, and in both cases the questions went unanswered. Trump’s response to the Khashoggi inquiry included the comment that Khashoggi was “somebody that was extremely controversial,” as well as, “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman,” and the assertion that “things happen.”
During the same appearance, Trump also commented on the media outlet Bruce represents. He said, “I think the license should be taken away from ABC. Because your news is so fake and so wrong,” and added that Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr “should look at that.” The reference to broadcast licensing drew additional attention because Carr had previously threatened ABC’s license in connection with comments made by late night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Together, the incidents contributed to broader national discussion about the relationship between the White House and journalists covering the administration. The combination of personal remarks, access dynamics and unresolved policy questions has raised concerns among press advocates and researchers who track government interactions with the media.
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